John -
If you want to see the outcome of Ron DeSantis’ Stop W.O.K.E. Act, look no further than changes made to a First Grade Social Studies text about Rosa Parks.
Old Version: “The law said African Americans had to give up their seats on the bus if a white person wanted to sit down.”
Changed to: “She was told to move to a different seat because of the color of her skin.”
Further edited to: “She was told to move to a different seat. She did not. She did what she believed was right.”
That’s right. She was just told to move to a different seat. That’s it. It’s insane.
When asked, the publisher said they made the change in response to their "interpretation" of Ron DeSantis’ bill.
Just two weeks ago, I was in Alabama at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the place where the Montgomery Bus Boycott was organized in 1955 — the day after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to follow a law requiring Black riders to give up their seat to whites.
It is at the same time a chilling reminder of how far we’ve come and a reminder of how people like Ron DeSantis are so eager to take us back.
If this is as enraging for you as it is for me, here’s something you can do about it today:
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Thank you,
Gavin Newsom
