Florida’s academic standards specifically require teaching “the history of African peoples,” including “the passage to America,” “the enslavement experience,” and “how the individual freedoms of persons have been infringed by slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination.”

Judging by the headlines, you’d have thought Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., had banned any mention of black history in Florida public schools. But of course, the headlines are not to be trusted when left-biased journalists get going.

“Ron DeSantis wants to erase black history,” declared the New York Times. “Ron DeSantis blocks African American studies,” said CNN. “Blocking black history is an attempt to counter Black Power,” wrote the Washington Post. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused DeSantis of attempting to “block” the “study of black Americans.”

All of these claims were completely false. Florida’s academic standards specifically require teaching “the history of African peoples,” including “the passage to America,” “the enslavement experience,” and “how the individual freedoms of persons have been infringed by slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination.”

What Florida law proscribes additionally, however, is any curriculum designed to “indoctrinate” students into thinking any person “is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex” or that any person “by virtue of his or her race or sex” bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”

This is exactly what the Advanced Placement curriculum designed by the College Board did before DeSantis said he would block the use of the AP African American Studies course in Florida public high schools.

Democrats and their media allies frequently claim the teaching of critical race theory in schools is a myth. Critical race theory, they smugly insist, is a graduate-level topic not taught in elementary and secondary education. But after DeSantis fought back and said the AP course violated state law, the College Board agreed with him and backed down, removing writers and scholars from the curriculum who even the New York Times admits are “associated with critical race theory.”

Among many other objectionable items the College Board removed from its curriculum were extensive essays supporting financial reparations for slavery. The curriculum claimed it was just fostering “debate” on the subject, but a lack of interest in debate was revealed in the total lack of material in the course critical of the idea. This is “textbook” indoctrination and a clear violation of Florida’s law.

The College Board claims it had already removed the critical race theory elements before DeSantis’s criticism. But it’s clear the changes were a response to apt political pressure.

For too long, schools have been run by far-left activists who portray the United States as fundamentally racist and oppressive. Thanks to their poisonous influence, only 16% of Generation Z and only 36% of millennials say they are proud to be Americans, compared to 73% of baby boomers and 54% of Generation X.

Unifying the nation and accomplishing great things again starts with prying public schools from the grip of the far-left America-hating activists who run them.

DeSantis is proving not only that such a fight can be fought but also that it can be won.