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Florida



  • DeSantis's War on "Woke" Evokes Darkest Parts of Florida's History

    by Carol Anderson

    Calling DeSantis's agenda a "culture war" obscures the fact that is in fact a war against the marginalized, an effort to narrow the definition of who counts as a Floridian and whom the state will serve and protect, with the right to vote at the center. 



  • Excerpts from a Civics Textbook I Assume Would be Welcome in Florida

    by Alexandra Petri

    "American history is full of many heroes, whose accomplishments we will have no problem telling you about in the state of Florida! They fought for justice, which was brave of them, if a little redundant, because there was no specific injustice to fight against."



  • Confusion Over Book Bans in Florida is a Feature, Not a Bug, of New Policies

    The state education commissioner of Florida, Manny Diaz, has insisted that the state is not banning books. Civil liberties and library groups say that vague laws and public threats of prosecution are pushing educators to remove books without technically being forced to do so, which is the point. 



  • Florida Professor: I was Fired for Teaching about Racism

    Although Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private and Christian institution, English instructor Sam Joeckel says that a parent's complaint to the administration that led to his firing goes hand in hand with the efforts of Ron DeSantis to attack higher education in Florida to advance his "anti-woke" crusade. 



  • Florida Universities on Defensive as State Attacks Diversity Initiatives

    Interviews with Miami Herald reporters show the behind-the-scenes work university faculty and staff are weighing how much compliance will be required with new state laws. The DeSantis administration may achieve more performative than substantive results, but uncertainty and anxiety are common on campus. 


  • Censoring History Education Goes Hand in Hand with Democratic Backsliding

    by Julia Boechat Machado and Ruben Zeeman

    Regimes in the Philippines, India and Brazil have recently tried to censor the teaching of history in service of their poltical goals and claims to power. The pushback by scholars in these countries should inspire historians in Florida and elsewhere to resist the political censorship of research and teaching. 



  • What are the Evils and Dangers Targeted by Book Bans?

    A study of the books flagged for restriction in Duval County, Florida in the last two years suggests that a particular political vision is driving the bans, focusing on LGBTQ themes and racial and religious diversity. But a fear of adolescents' developing autonomy also seems to be in play. 



  • In Florida, the Question is WHOSE Parental Rights

    Although right-leaning "parental rights" groups have been prominent advocates for state legislation affecting how schools handle race and gender issues, it's clear that those groups don't represent all parents in the state. 



  • Fear and Loathing in Florida

    by Samuel Hoadley-Brill

    "Much like 'voter fraud,' the term 'critical race theory' can mean whatever DeSantis needs it to mean to justify his anti-democratic agenda."



  • Black History, White Terror, and Rosewood at 100

    by Dan Royles

    The efforts of historians and survivors to achieve a small measure of justice and acknowledgment for the Rosewood massacre demonstrate the stakes of Florida's current efforts to restrict the teaching of history that challenges white supremacy.