The Florida Department of Education's revised standards for teaching African American history have ignited a firestorm of debate. Vanderbilt Professor Michael Eric Dyson, appearing on MSNBC, likened the new curriculum to highlighting "positive aspects" of the Holocaust, drawing a parallel to potentially focusing on Native Americans' self-defense against settlers while ignoring the atrocities committed against them. He emphasized the inherent injustice of slavery and criticized the notion of finding "benefits" within such a system.

The controversy centers on the curriculum's requirement to teach middle school students about skills acquired by enslaved people and how they might have been used for personal gain. Critics argue that this minimizes the brutal realities of slavery, while the Florida DOE maintains the standards aim to present a comprehensive view, acknowledging both the hardships and the resilience of enslaved individuals. The DOE provided examples of enslaved people who developed specialized trades, such as blacksmithing, shoemaking, and tailoring, asserting that focusing solely on victimhood overlooks their strength and ingenuity.

Organizations like the NAACP and the Florida Education Association have condemned the new standards. NAACP President Derrick Johnson labeled them a regressive step, evoking a time when Black lives were devalued. He stressed the importance of recognizing slavery and Jim Crow as human rights violations. The FEA expressed concern that the standards misrepresent the experience of slavery and are a disservice to students.