Florida’s ‘Kamala Harris Truth about Slavery Act’ would teach students about the Democrat Party’s pro-slavery history 

Florida public schools may soon be updating their African American history curriculum to include the pro-slavery history of the Democrat Party. 

State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, and Rep. Kiyan Michael, R-Jacksonville, have pre-filed corresponding bills SB 1192 and HB 1139 regarding public school instruction. The bills would expand Florida’s current African American history curriculum to include which political parties supported slavery. 

“Like most Black Americans, I was raised never knowing the truth that the Democrat Party was the party fighting for, and keeping slavery, and the reason for the formation of the Republican Party was to abolish it,” Michael wrote in a press release. “This bill will bring forth these truths and expose the political parties’ role regarding the heinous institution of slavery.” 

“It is vitally important, and historically accurate, to include that the Democrat Party not only fought for the continued abomination that was slavery, but they also adopted pro-slavery resolutions and tenets into their official party platform,” added Ingoglia. 

Ingoglia’s version of the bill is titled the “Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act” – presumably as a jab at the vice president for criticizing Florida’s approach to African American history. 

If the bills pass, Florida public school students would learn the Democrat Party largely supported slavery and opposed civil rights reforms from its founding in 1828 and far into the 20th century. 

Meanwhile, in the wake of the controversial Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Republican Party formed in 1854 to combat slavery.  

Notable abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass would eventually affiliate with the Republican Party. And after the war, many former slaves or children of former slaves who served in Congress did so as Republicans.  

Meanwhile, the Democrat Party retained many of its pro-slavery sentiments even after the war.  

Though not officially affiliated with the party, the KKK had many Democrat members, and Jim Crow laws were largely passed by Southern Democrat legislators. 

In 1868, New Yorker Horatio Seymour was the Democrat nominee for president. His campaign slogan was, “This is a White Man’s Country; Let White Men Rule.”  

Seymour lost the election to Ulysses S. Grant, former general of the U.S. Army under Abraham Lincoln.  

If passed, SB 1192 and HB 1139 will go into effect July 1.