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Florida

Conservative culture warriors love Antonio Gramsci

John Fea   |  March 14, 2023

For several years now conservatives, and especially the Christian Right, have been warning their followers about the influence of “cultural Marxism.” One of their favorite bogeymen is Mussolini-era Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. Here, for example, is Christian right purveyor of […]

A defender of liberalism and academic freedom opposes Ron DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda

John Fea   |  March 8, 2023

Here is a clip from the end of Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s “State of the State” yesterday: I’ll let writer and political scientist Yascha Mounk, a defender of liberal values and academic freedom, take it from here. His recent piece […]

Florida’s HB 999 is not about free speech or academic freedom, it’s about politics

John Fea   |  February 27, 2023

Last week the Florida House of Representatives introduced House Bill 999: “An act relating to public postsecondary educational institutions.” Read it here. Here are some of the details Here are some of my takeaways:

Ron DeSantis wrote a book about the founding fathers

John Fea   |  February 23, 2023

The full title is Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama. Historian David Waldstreicher read it. Here is a taste of his piece at The Atlantic: History works for Ron Desantis as an argument. It would […]

John McWhorter on the AP African American Studies course

John Fea   |  February 17, 2023

Earlier this month the College Board removed a few writers, ideas, and subjects from its AP African American Studies course. The Board removed lessons on Black queer studies, intersectionality, the Black Lives Matter Movement, Black feminist literary thought, the reparations […]

New Jersey will expand AP African American Studies courses

John Fea   |  February 15, 2023

While governor Ron DeSantis is trying to prevent the course from being taught in Florida, governor Phil Murphy is expanding its availability in New Jersey. Here is The Associated Press: Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday that his administration is […]

Is it still possible to teach Faulkner in Florida?

John Fea   |  February 14, 2023

Here is Florida State University Diane Roberts‘s piece at The Atlantic, “‘Most Important, We Must Not Upset DeSantis‘”: In my senior Southern Literature class, I’m about to teach Go Down, Moses, William Faulkner’s great novel about how racism has warped America. […]

Will Ben Sasse, the new president of the University of Florida, bow to Ron DeSantis?

John Fea   |  February 7, 2023

Yesterday was former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse’s first day as president of the University of Florida. We are all waiting to see how he will get along with Florida governor Ron DeSantis, especially as it relates to “wokeness.” Here is […]

It was only a matter of time: Jair Bolsonaro and Charlie Kirk join forces

John Fea   |  February 2, 2023

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is in Florida right now and he wants to stay longer. This makes sense for the Trump-inspired former leader. After all, some of his followers recently tried to storm the Brazilian capitol with the hopes […]

A historian takes a close look at Advanced Placement African American Studies

John Fea   |  February 1, 2023

Many of you are following the debate in Florida over the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies courses. If you are not familiar with this controversy, get up to speed here and here. Over at Politico, historian Jonatan Zeitz […]

The president of the AAC&U responds to the the Advanced Placement African American Studies controversy in Florida

John Fea   |  January 31, 2023

Not familiar with what is going in Florida regarding this course? Get up to speed here. Lynn Pasquerella is president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Mary Dana Hinton is immediate past chair of the AAC&U Board of […]

He was Florida’s professor of the year in 2006. Today his courses would be illegal.

John Fea   |  January 27, 2023

In 2006, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching chose WIlliam Felice, a political science professor at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, as it’s Florida Professor of the Year. He is now retired, but if he were still teaching […]

The integrity of history education in colleges and universities is under threat

John Fea   |  January 25, 2023

Jim Grossman, the executive director of the American Historian Association, and Jeremy C. Young, the senior manager for free expression and education at PEN America, weigh-in on attempts by state legislatures to influence what happens in K-12 history classrooms. Here […]

The Author’s Corner with Thomas A. Castillo

Rachel Petroziello   |  January 23, 2023

Thomas A. Castillo is Associate Professor of History at Coastal Carolina University. This interview is based on his book, Working in the Magic City: Moral Economy in Early Twentieth-Century Miami (University of Illinois Press, 2022). JF: What led you to […]

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis believes he is God’s anointed one

John Fea   |  November 5, 2022

Donald Trump said this week that he will probably run for president in 2024. Many are saying that Ron DeSantis will also run for president in 2024. This could put some evangelicals in a real dilemma. Will they vote for […]

Students at the University of Florida protest Ben Sasse’s visit

John Fea   |  October 12, 2022

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse is the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida. Sasse has been a vocal critic of Trump and Trumpism. Court evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress once called him a “disgrace to the Republican Party, […]

There is a historical precedent for Ron DeSantis’s sending of aslyum-seeking Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard

John Fea   |  September 16, 2022

In case you missed it, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, as part of a political stunt, just put a group of Venezuelan migrants on a plane and sent them to Martha’s Vineyard. Here is CNN: Two planes carrying migrants were sent by Florida […]

It’s Ron DeSantis vs. Charlie Crist in Florida

John Fea   |  August 24, 2022

I will be keeping an eye on this race. Here is NPR: Democrat and longtime politician Charlie Crist has won the primary for governor in Florida and will face Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in November, according to a race call […]

What is the deadliest road in America?

John Fea   |  July 26, 2022

Over at VOX, Marin Cogan has a piece on the deadliest road in the United States. It is located in Florida. Cogan writes: “Out of the 60 hot spots they identified as having a high number of deaths, seven of them […]

Florida is becoming an abortion destination state

John Fea   |  July 20, 2022

Florida right-wing governor Ron DeSantis and the conservatives in the state legislature have not yet blocked abortion in the state. According to Manuel Bojorquez’s piece at CBS News, women are flocking to Florida to have the procedure done. Here is […]

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