Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society

Enslaved Africans built landmarks like the White House, the U.S. Capitol and New York's Wall Street. Bettmann via Getty Images

The state of Florida ignited a controversy when it released a set of 2023 academic standards that require fifth graders to be taught that enslaved Black people in the U.S. “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their benefit.”

As a researcher specializing in the history of race and racism in the U.S., I – like a growing chorus of critics – see that education standard as flawed and misleading.