Florida
Florida Senators Book, Thompson, Jones, Osgood, Powell React to New Black History Standards
Tallahassee, Fla. – This week, the Florida Board of Education approved new Black history standards that will now include instruction on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) – ‘These new African-American history standards approved by the Board of Education unacceptably skew the darkest points of the history of our nation and state — forcing schools to misinform students about horrific realities of slavery. What’s next? Suggesting some Jews benefitted from the Holocaust by learning perseverance from their trauma? We cannot spin these atrocities and must instead name them for what they are: black spots in history which we must learn from and must never repeat.
This implementation of the misguided so-called ‘Stop WOKE Act’ runs at odds with actual history. I was proud to stand with my colleagues in the Black Caucus to sponsor a bill ensuring the truth about the Ocoee massacre is taught in Florida schools — but this new rule denies those victims of segregation and racism in the Jim Crow South any justice or recognition. We have unacceptably taken several steps back in history.’
Senator Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando) offered her own testimony during the Board of Education’s public comment at the meeting, saying, “If I were still a professor…I would give this a grade of ‘I’ for ‘Incomplete’. It recognizes that we have made an effort, we have taken a step, however, this history needs to be comprehensive, it needs to be authentic, and it needs additional work.
In 2020 the Legislature passed a bill championed by former Senator Randolph Bracy, Leader Book and Senator Geraldine Thompson to begin the process to add the Ocoee Election Day massacre to Florida’s K-12 education curriculum. On the impact of these new standards to the teaching of the Ocoee Massacre, Thompson said, “When you look at the history currently it suggests that the [Ocoee] massacre was sparked by violence from African Americans. That’s blaming the victim, when in fact it was other individuals who came into the Black Community and killed individuals, and burned homes, schools, lodges, etc. So we want to tell the whole story.”
After releasing a statement on the Florida Department of Education “whitewashing African American history and chipping away at LGBTQ+ youth safety in schools”, Senator Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens) was featured on MSNBC’s Katy Tur Reports, saying, “The Florida Department of Education has set our state back years with the passage of these new education guidelines…Slavery was NOT a benefit to the enslaved. If we want to teach accurate African-American studies, don’t start our history at slavery. Talk about the land we were taken from – where we were kings and queens and owned land. I was a teacher for nearly a decade and I can tell you, teachers are not indoctrinating students. Teachers are teaching what the truth is, which we should be teaching children when they come into the classroom. That’s not ‘woke-ism’. That’s called history and that’s called facts.”
Other responses by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus include an appearance by Senator Rosalind Osgood (D-Tamarac) on CBS News Miami to share her thoughts on what Black history education in Florida should include and Senator Bobby Powell (D-West Palm Beach) joining elected officials in a town hall this weekend in Haverhill to discuss, in part, the new education standards.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Senator LaVon Bracy Davis and Representative Mitch Rosenwald have filed legislation aimed at expanding access to the My Safe Florida Home Program by allowing homeowners to reapply when applications were previously deemed abandoned or withdrawn due to errors or omissions.
The measure, SB 1148/HB 1045, would modify program rules to permit subsequent applications when the original filing was rejected because of compliance-related mistakes, provided there is good cause and the applicant corrects the issue in a timely manner.
Expanding Access to Homeowner Assistance
The My Safe Florida Home Program is a state initiative that provides eligible Florida homeowners with inspections and grant funding to help strengthen their homes against storms while reducing insurance costs. The program is administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services.
Current rules allow for reapplication if an application was denied or withdrawn due to errors or omissions. However, the proposed legislation would also allow reapplication when an application was deemed abandoned or withdrawn because of similar compliance-related issues.
Addressing Bureaucratic Barriers
“At a time when Florida’s families are struggling with rising insurance costs, we cannot allow bureaucratic technicalities to block access to affordability tools,” said Bracy Davis, a Democrat from Ocoee.
The bill responds to concerns from homeowners who were unable to submit a new application after their original submission was closed due to misunderstandings or reasonable mistakes regarding program requirements.
Focus on Seniors and Low-Income Homeowners
Rosenwald, a Democrat from Oakland Park, said the legislation is intended to help vulnerable homeowners who rely on the program for financial relief.
“This program can be a lifeline for seniors and low-income homeowners,” Rosenwald said. “In response to Floridians reporting that they were blocked from submitting a new application because of a misunderstanding or reasonable mistake concerning program compliance, I filed this glitch bill.”
If approved, the legislation would ensure more homeowners have access to financial assistance aimed at strengthening homes and improving insurance affordability across Florida.
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