Gov. DeSantis has found a new culture-war enemy: 'critical race theory'

Gov. Ron DeSantis played another culture-war card Wednesday, vowing to expel from Florida’s public schools any study of “critical race theory,” which examines the way race has shaped American society and institutions, which he denounced as “ideological or faddish.”

The remarks by the governor, who’s two years from seeking reelection and perhaps four from a run for the presidency, fit into a broader conservative effort to delegitimize research into the extent to which racism in America is not just a matter of interpersonal bigotry, but rather is enforced through laws and cultural mores.

They followed other demonizations by the governor of conservative culture-war bête noirs, including social media companies Republicans accuse of “cancelling” conservative voices and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd last year.

He supports crackdowns on both of these social forces now pending before the Florida Legislature.

Read more: https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/03/17/gov-desantis-has-found-a-new-culture-war-enemy-critical-race-theory/