Ron DeSantis Challenges Kamala Harris To Discuss Education—Letter in Full

"It's past time to set the record straight," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote in a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, asking her to meet to discuss the state's new curriculum, which has sparked backlash for its treatment of slavery.

Florida's 2023 Social Studies curriculum, which was approved by the state Board of Education in July, includes middle school instruction on how "slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."

Vice President Kamala Harris was among the first to vocally condemn the new curriculum, calling it propaganda. "They want to replace history with lies," she said of the curriculum during a speech in Jacksonville, Florida, in July.

"They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not have it," continued Harris, adding: "So, it is not only misleading; it is false. And it is pushing propaganda. People who walk around and want to be praised as leaders, who want to be talked about as American leaders, pushing propaganda on our children."

While at an event in Utah, DeSantis said he had nothing to do with the new curriculum. The governor also defended it, saying: "They're probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life."

Following criticism of the curriculum, the Republican governor has invited Harris to hold a public debate about the issue in Tallahassee, Florida, as early as Wednesday.

In the letter, dated Monday July 31, DeSantis defends the state's revised African American History curriculum, saying that the Biden administration should praise the "boldness" of Florida "teaching the unique and important story of African American History."

"Over the past several weeks, the Biden Administration has repeatedly disparaged our state and misinformed Americans about our education system," the governor wrote in his letter. "Our state pushed forward nation-leading standalone African American History standards—one of the only states in the nation to require this level of learning about such an important subject."

DeSantis then accused the Biden Administration of scoring "cheap political points" by attacking the state's revised curriculum and labeling "Florida's parents 'extremists.'"

He invited Harris to join him and William Allen, a former member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights who worked on Florida's revised African American History curriculum, in Tallahassee and bring an expert who shares her viewpoint.

"I am prepared to meet as early as Wednesday of this week, but of course want to be deferential to your busy schedule should you already have a trip to the southern border planned for that day," DeSantis wrote in the letter. "Please let me know as soon as possible. What an example we could set for the nation—a serious conversation on the subject of an important issue! I hope you're feeling up to it."

Newsweek has contacted the White House as well as DeSantis' spokesperson for comment by email on Tuesday.

Find the letter that DeSantis sent Harris in full below.