On Wednesday's CNN This Morning, the show continued its campaign against Republican Governor Ron DeSantis's education policies in Florida by highlighting a planned protest in Tallahassee by Al Sharpton's National Action Network. Co-host Don Lemon cued up Bishop Rudolph McKissick to accuse DeSantis of being the one who favors indoctrinating the children.
Before the segment with Bishop McKissick, the show had just aired a full report on a daycare center in Florida that provocatively commemorated Black History Month in part by having children wear blackface for some of the activities, leading to complaints from parents. Concluding the segment, Lemon tried to tie the story to Governor DeSantis as the CNN host commented: "This is why knowing history and teaching the correct history of the country is so important because then you don't do really ignorant things like this."
After correspondent Athena Jones responded, "Exactly, Education is the antidote to ignorance," Lemon, "Yeah, and this is the beginning in pre-school and daycare."
After introducing his guest, Bishop McKissick, for the next segment, Lemon began by trying to tie in the previous story:
I want to hear what you think about this whole blackface incident. Is it -- do you think that this is sort of proof that we should be learning more about the true history of the country as it relates to, you know, even starting as young as pre-school?
The liberal activist eventually claimed that the Republican governor was trying to "indoctrinate" children by not allowing liberal activists to teach Black history in the way they think it should be taught:
And it is our attempt to say, "We will not allow you to redact out our history -- whitewash our history because, in doing that, you are left with nothing but a conservative consciousness and thought about Black history -- which is, in effect, indoctrination. So we're not the ones doing the indoctrinating. He is the one that's doing it."
Lemon scoffed at the way schools teach about Christopher Columbus as he followed up:
That's what I wanted to say -- that, you know, the whole idea that the history that many of us were taught growing up, you know, "Christopher Columbus discovered America," which sort of leaves out and puts Native Americans being here to the side, right? It is sort of a history that makes certain people look good.
CNN briefly stated the DeSantis position so McKissick could knock it down: "His office says that it is both dishonest and incorrect to claim that Florida is banning Black history, and says that Florida has a Black history requirement in state statute. What is your response to that?"
. The liberal activist proclaimed:
I think that's a great talking point, but it's disingenuous because we're not saying that they don't teach Black history. What we're saying is you want to redact Black history to teach it the way you want it so that this generation is not uncomfortable. Well, perhaps they need to be uncomfortable so they can join us in the fight for equity and equality.
Neither CNN anchor pushed back on that glaring call for indoctrination. At the rally, McKissick was blunter:
"If you come for one of us, you come for all of us," said Bishop Rudolph McKissick of Jacksonville at the National Action Network rally.
"If you don't want our story, you shouldn't get our students," he later added. "I wonder what would happen if every D1 athlete went into the transfer portal and found a school that wants their story."
This episode of CNN This Morning was sponsored in part by Flex Seal. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CNN This Morning
February 15, 2023
7:49 a.m. Eastern
DON LEMON: This is why knowing history and teaching the correct history of the country is so important because then you don't do really ignorant things like this.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Education is the antidote to ignorance.
LEMON: Yeah, and this is the beginning in pre-school and daycare.
(...)
I want to hear what you think about this whole blackface incident. Is it -- do you think that this is sort of proof that we should be learning more about the true history of the country as it relates to, you know, even starting as young as pre-school?
BISHOP RUDOLPH McKISSICK, BETHEL CHURCH IN JACKSONVILLE: Good morning, Don. Absolutely. I think it is insulting and offensive and evidence that we do need greater education about Black history and about our contribution to this country so that persons can adequately display and portray who we are during this month.
KAITLAN COLLINS: And, Bishop, you're going to this protest today. What are you -- what is the biggest message -- the clearest line that you want to get across by going and attending?
BISHOP McKISSICK: Well, we wanted to be very clear that we are not here just to make a statement, but we are here to affect a change. Governor DeSantis says they want education and not indoctrination. And we want to be very clear to not miss the forest because of the trees. This is not just about an AP course. This is also about this attempt to dilute how colleges and schools teach diversity, equity and inclusion. And it is our attempt to say, "We will not allow you to redact out our history -- whitewash our history because, in doing that, you are left with nothing but a conservative consciousness and thought about Black history -- which is, in effect, indoctrination." So we're not the ones doing the indoctrinating. He is the one that's doing it.
LEMON: That's what I wanted to say -- that, you know, the whole idea that the history that many of us were taught growing up, you know, "Christopher Columbus discovered America," which sort of leaves out and puts Native Americans being here to the side, right? It is sort of a history that makes certain people look good. His office says that it is both dishonest and incorrect to claim that Florida is banning Black history, and says that Florida has a Black history requirement in state statute. What is your response to that?
BISHOP McKISSICK: I think that's a great talking point, but it's disingenuous because we're not saying that they don't teach Black history. What we're saying is you want to redact Black history to teach it the way you want it so that this generation is not uncomfortable. Well, perhaps they need to be uncomfortable so they can join us in the fight for equity and equality.
