CNN Newsroom host Bianna Golodryga invited former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on to the Thursday program to discuss the latest developments surrounding the College Board and AP African-American Studies. If the point was to educate the audience, then Duncan failed as he claimed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has “a white nationalist agenda” and that “something insidious is happening in Florida.”
The question Golodryga asked was not necessarily a terrible one, “Okay, let's get your reaction first to the College Board for the framework of the AP African-American studies courses, of course, coming after Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, banned it from classrooms in the state.”
Instead of addressing the revised content, Duncan launched into an unhinged and nasty personal series of attacks against DeSantis, “Well, unfortunately, you know, Governor DeSantis has been very, very clear he has what appears to be a white nationalist agenda.”
Duncan also declared that, “what I hate most is he just always attacks the most vulnerable, whether the AP African-American history, whether it’s the LGBTQ community, whether it’s immigrants, he always attacks the most vulnerable and I just-- it says a lot more about us than about him and I just hope voters in Florida and voters across the country don't think that is what our country needs is more bullying, more attacking on those that need our help and our support.”
It is African-American Studies, not African-American History and the difference is not a small one. Among the changes listed on the screen were "Only require analysis of 'core historical, literary, and artistic works'" and no longer including “Queer life and expression in Black communities.”
Golodryga then tried to re-ask her original question, “Have you been able to look through this initial framework that was just unveiled because we’re looking at it on the screen now? Any changes if you have that stands out to you that maybe perhaps worries you?”
Amazingly, Duncan admitted to commenting despite the fact that “I haven't seen the details. I just think that it’s so important that young people have access to America’s full history, that we don't hide from the tough parts and we celebrate the good parts.”
Maybe if Duncan had bothered to do his homework, he wouldn’t have accused DeSantis of hiding history, but doing his homework would mean that he couldn’t have declared “You see him removing, you know, books from classrooms, you see these, just very chilling photos of school libraries, classroom libraries, empty shelves. Something insidious is happening in Florida and it is extraordinarily disturbing.”
This is who CNN rolls out as an education expert. If not teaching about “queer life” in African-American Studies is “insidious” then one would hate to find out what else Duncan considers insidious.
This segment was sponsored by Roman.
Here is a transcript for the February 1 show:
CNN Newsroom
2/1/2023
10:56 AM ET
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: Okay, let's get your reaction first to the College Board for the framework of the AP African-American studies courses, of course, coming after Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, banned it from classrooms in the state.
ARNE DUNCAN: Well, unfortunately, you know, Governor DeSantis has been very, very clear he has what appears to be a white nationalist agenda. And what I hate most is he just always attacks the most vulnerable, whether the AP African-American history, whether it’s the LGBTQ community, whether it’s immigrants, he always attacks the most vulnerable and I just-- it says a lot more about us than about him and I just hope voters in Florida and voters across the country don't think that is what our country needs is more bullying, more attacking on those that need our help and our support.
GOLODRYGA: Have you been able to look through this initial framework that was just unveiled because we’re looking at it on the screen now? Any changes if you have that stands out to you that maybe perhaps worries you?
DUNCAN: I haven't seen the details. I just think that it’s so important that young people have access to America’s full history, that we don't hide from the tough parts and we celebrate the good parts. Obviously having access to AP classes, students don’t just learn, they get college credits, it makes college more affordable for their families and so making sure students across the country, including Florida, don't have this history whitewashed. You see him removing, you know, books from classrooms, you see these, just very chilling photos of school libraries, classroom libraries, empty shelves. Something insidious is happening in Florida and it is extraordinarily disturbing.
