The sole Black Republican in the Senate, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, reportedly criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday for the state’s new educational standards, which teach that some Black people profited from slavery because it gave them practical skills.
“As a country founded upon freedom, the greatest deprivation of freedom was slavery. There is no silver lining … in slavery,” Scott said in reference to the controversial Florida curriculum.
“What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating. So I would hope that every person in our country — and certainly running for president — would appreciate that. People have bad days. Sometimes they regret what they say. And we should ask them again to clarify their positions.” Scott continued.
Widespread criticism of the wording has been expressed, some of it even from Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who last week slammed the criteria when visiting Florida.
In response to Scott’s remarks, DeSantis criticized “D.C. Republicans” in an interview with journalists on Friday in Albia, Iowa, for endorsing a similar viewpoint to Harris.
“I think part of the reason our country has struggled is because D.C. Republicans all too often accept false narratives, accept lies that are perpetrated by the left and accept the lie that Kamala Harris has been perpetrating, even when that has been debunked,” DeSantis said.
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