ORLANDO, Fla. — In 2023, the Florida State Board of Education approved a new “history standard” to be taught in schools.

The instruction would now include language that suggests enslaved people “benefitted from slavery because they learned skills.” The new standard was also approved by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but it hasn’t come without ruffling feathers.

What You Need To Know

  • The Florida State Board of Education approved a new history standard in 2023 which includes instruction that suggests enslaved people benefitted from slavery

  • Fifty high school students will take a trip to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama to learn about history

  • The trip will take place during spring break and will consist of museum tours and a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge

  •  Pastor Sharon Riley, along with other community partners, raised more than $30,000 to provide the trip at little to no cost for the students

While some people have backed the changes, saying that it offers another perspective to slavery, others, like Pastor Sharon Riley, said that she believes it’s a way of robbing students of knowing the truth about history.

“For you, it may be political, but for me, it is personal,” said Riley. “It is literally saying to a generation that is still developing, ‘You will never know completely who you are.’”

Riley, along with other community partners, have organized a trip to Alabama, where students will tour museums in Montgomery and walk the Edmund Pettus Bridge with survivors in Selma.

After visiting the area herself, Riley said she knew that it was an experience she wanted students in her church and community to see for themselves. Taking matters into her own hands, and not allowing politicians to decide what will and will not be taught.

“We decided that we would start educating our members, as well as our students,” Riley said. “We didn’t want to leave it up to the state to determine what level of education our families and our children are exposed to.”

Like history, many of Riley’s sermons — though focused on biblical figures — are also based on events from the past. Riley said like the Bible, facts about history should not be altered or whitewashed just because the topic is difficult to discuss.

Though she acknowledges the reality of the past might be tough to digest, especially for school-aged children, she said avoiding it doesn’t change the fact that it happened.

“No matter what kind of truth it is, whether it’s hard to accept, or if it’s just something that everybody should know, you shouldn’t hide it,” said A’Shayla Dyer, a sophomore attending the trip later in March.

Dyer is a scholar that enjoys learning things that come with a challenge, from history to physical science and even several languages.

“I started with Spanish and then moved on to Japanese, French, Chinese, German and Russian,” Dyer said.

Attending this trip was a no-brainer for Dyer after hearing about the opportunity during church announcements. She said as a lover of knowledge, she believes it’s an experience every student should have, especially if the materials will not be taught in the classroom.

Riley said they were able to raise $30,000 so that the students could attend the trip to Alabama at little to no cost at all. There will be a total of 60 people attending, 50 students and 10 chaperones.