NO CRT NO WEB DUBOIS

Florida Professors Are Trying to Stop Gov. DeSantis From Reviving The "Stop W.O.K.E." Act

Amira Castilla
Thu, January 12, 2023 

Photo: Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald via AP, File (AP)

Governor Ron DeSantis is working overtime to stop free speech for educators in his governing state of Florida.

DeSantis has ordered Florida state universities to send their spending data for critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as a part of the agenda he is pushing, the “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act.

The “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act stands for Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees, and it is a censoring law. It prohibits teaching environments and business settings from saying that persons of a particular ethnic group are racist and that they should feel guilty for the past actions of groups they identify. It also stops teaching that a person’s race or gender determines how much privilege they do or do not have and discrimination cannot happen for the sake of diversity.

The law was temporarily blocked in November 2022 by the Tallahassee US. District Judge Mark Walker and ordering the spending data is one way he is trying to work around the blocking. He is requesting the data by Friday, January 12. The American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Defense Fund are representing college professors asking for the data request to get blocked, claiming that the data request is going against the “Stop Woke” Act block.

When DeSantis first introduced “Stop W.O.K.E.” in 2021 he wanted Floridians to think that they would be doing a good thing by stopping education about race and the structures put in place to discriminate groups of people. However, the Act is a way to only oppress those minority groups more by not teaching historical context that would expose the wrongs done against them over time. When students and employees don’t know history, they are set up to continue and create dangerous agendas.

De Santis requesting the data is a part of his plan to stop funding the contributions to the teaching saying in a news release, “We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other. We also have a responsibility to ensure that parents have the means to vindicate their rights when it comes to enforcing state standards. Finally, we must protect Florida workers against the hostile work environment that is created when large corporations force their employees to endure CRT-inspired ‘training’ and indoctrination.”

The Root

Florida teachers move to block DeSantis questions on CRT

Wed, January 11, 2023 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A group of Florida college professors on Wednesday asked a federal judge to block Gov. Ron DeSantis from requesting spending data on diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory programs in state universities.

The filing comes as part of a lawsuit against the so-called “Stop WOKE” Act, which restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in colleges. Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker has blocked the law, though DeSantis' office is appealing the decision.

The Republican governor in late December requested that state colleges submit spending data and other information on programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory, which examines systemic racism. The schools were asked to submit the data by Friday.

The college educators, who are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Defense Fund, argue the governor's request violates the court order blocking the “Stop WOKE” Act.

“This is just another step towards enforcing this unconstitutional law and is clearly intended to continue to chill the speech of instructors and students in Florida. We cannot allow these threats against free speech to continue,” Jerry Edwards, staff attorney of the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement.

DeSantis' office did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

The law prohibits teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilt for past actions committed by others. It also bars the notion that a person’s status as privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by their race or gender, or that discrimination is acceptable to achieve diversity.

The governor began pushing for the law late last year and the Republican-controlled Legislature passed it during the 2022 legislative session.

Critical race theory was developed during the 1970s and 1980s in response to what scholars viewed as a lack of racial progress following the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. It centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people in society.

Conservatives have rejected critical race theory, arguing the philosophy racially divides American society and aims to rewrite history to make white people believe they are inherently racist.