The Battle Lines Are Being Drawn

Ron DeSantis, is looking to introduce a new “plan” for educational spaces in Florida. What else is new, right? In all seriousness, the Florida Governor has seemingly launched an attack on education within his state. A state, by the way, that is struggling mightily to maintain teachers. He recently proposed the removal of spending on “diversity, equity and inclusion” in and effort to essentially dry these programs out. DeSantis describes these efforts as “discriminatory,” and is pushing heavily for colleges to see his philosophy. Battle has begun.

This is the same man who feels that CRT is dangerous, thus leading to him to reroute the newly minted AP African American History course. This mode of thinking, which is pervasive, is a dangerous. This mode of thinking can lead education in Florida down a dark path. But what is worse, is that this way of thinking presents a parallel that would slowly creep into the major pillars of American society.

“Merely A Microcosm” 

Division is as American as apple pie. From race, to social class, it is not a stretch to assume that this country will probably always stay with a divide. The recent developments led by DeSantis do come off as shocking, they are merely a microcosm. They represent much of the divisive thought that would come to the surface during the Trump Administration. A divisive voice indeed, former President Trump brought extreme conservatism to the forefront. The January 6th Insurrection is essentially Trumpism personified. The radical, far right, “super patriotism” has become normalized in many pockets of the country. This is why DeSantis’ recent actions are dangerous. As members of the right have veered farther, so have members of the left. This widening of the gap over the last few years has made the separation incredibly noticeable.

What DeSantis is essentially doing is eliminating minority voices. The reason that many of these institutions exist in the first place is because these groups have been left voiceless forever. Black Greeks were founded due in part to the fact that they could not participate in white organizations. Minority children have long been exposed to misrepresentation in subjects like History and English; forced to read texts largely about the achievements of white Americans and Europeans. This is often a cause of disengagement in schools for the minority. Eradicating these efforts to include marginalized groups, breed further grounds for this.

While DeSantis’ ideas impact education, there are other states that are attempting strides in other spaces. This includes, the state of Mississippi’s, particularly Jackson, its capital. The state capital, which is predominantly African American, is likely to face law enforcement expansion. Not a big deal, until you consider the fact that they are looking to send state police into the city. Pair this with an also increased presence of appointed judges and you get where this is going. Oh yeah, and the Mississippi Senate, is Majority white and Republican led, are responsible for the ruling. Black residents of Jackson have expressed fear of the expansion of state police as many believe this is a way to establish political control in the predominantly democratic state capital.

“Battle Lines Have Been Drawn”

The idea of modern segregation is not as black and white as it times past. This variation largely centers on political control. The aforementioned gap, is the battle line here. A great number (not all) of conservatives seem to fully commit, and to great lengths, to the principles of its leaders and you can say the same for liberals. Whether it is education, voters rights, gun control, etc. there’s a war going on out here; a political war.