Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not here for higher education that includes teaching students culturally relevant history or any topics regarding equal rights for all. Today (May 15), the Republican signed a bill to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at universities within the state.
“Florida Eliminates DEI in Higher Education,” DeSantis tweeted. The post included a link to a speech he shared at a press conference today. “In reality, what this concept of DEI has been is to attempt to impose orthodoxy on the university, and not even necessarily in the classroom, but through the administrative apparatus of the university itself and that manifests itself in a number of different ways,” he said while at the podium.
DeSantis continued, “DEI [has] no place in our public institutions… If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to Berkeley… We want to focus on the classical mission of what a university is supposed to be.” “His regularly scheduled KKK meeting will resume shortly,” one person tweeted in response to a clip of his views. Another added, “Gov. Ron DeSantis, what a great way to ensure that future generations will be even more unprepared to deal with the realities of the world!”
“If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination. And that has no place in our public institutions. This bill says the whole experiment with DEI is coming to an end in the state of Florida,” DeSantis added. Last week, he tweeted, “We are putting a stop to woke ideology and DEI in higher education.” According to The Washington Post, the bill bans universities from participating in lessons that “distort significant historical events,” teach “identity politics,” or are “based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, or economic inequities.”
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