The Legislature opened its general session last week, just days after the end of Black History Month, a time to celebrate the resilience, strength and achievements of the Black community. But how can one comfortably celebrate Black history and discuss furthering civil rights when the state of Florida continues to impose “anti-woke” pieces of legislation, making our educators afraid to teach the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow?
“Anti-woke” bills and continued rhetoric spewing from leaders within Florida’s Capitol chastising diversity, equity and inclusion are proving to be dangerous. These actions undermine the progress that has been made toward creating a more just society and directly contradict much of the training our own military has used for more than 70 years.
America’s military was one of the first institutions in the 1940s to try to integrate and give African Americans equal opportunities. Our armed forces worked hard to teach soldiers of different races how to get along. They taught the history of African Americans so that white soldiers would respect and accept their darker-hued peers. Learning the history of another community diminishes prejudice, so people work together more constructively.
Still to this day, branches of the military and the Department of Defense honor several observation periods throughout the year, such as Native American Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American And Pacific Islander Month, and Women’s History Month. During these periods, distinguished speakers are often brought in to give presentations highlighting how different communities were harmed by state-imposed limitations and how our nation learned to provide opportunities across the board. These programs, frequently dubbed by the Department of Defense as diversity, equity and inclusion education programs, are well-used and liked by members of our armed forces.
Florida should look at our armed forces and the efforts of other nations, like Germany and South Africa, to confront their difficult pasts, as these nations openly share these pasts as a way to move forward and reconcile. Instead, our state leaders shut the mouths of teachers, bar educational courses and ban books.
Sharing historical information about the wrongs of a nation is the way that mutual respect and understanding of problems — caused by structural inequities — is developed. It is concerning that Florida seems to blatantly ignore our military’s well-established diversity training efforts and instead send mixed messages. For example, the governor is sponsoring a Black History Month Student and Educator Contest this year, but he is simultaneously shutting down anything and everything that even resembles the dimensions of diversity, equity and inclusion in our schools and workplaces.
Our system of government is not supposed to reflect merely one viewpoint, but rather to find common ground and represent a plurality of views. An educated citizenry is needed for a strong democracy. A strong democracy marks a touchstone of a truly strong nation.
Cecile Scoon is president of the League of Women Voters of Florida.
