Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts slammed false claims that are being made about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and about the state’s African American history curriculum, saying that the claims have nothing to do with history and are solely about trying to “kneecap” DeSantis.

“The outcry over Florida’s African American History standards is absurd,” Roberts, who has a PhD in American history, said in a statement. “That happens to be my academic field as a historian; I use to write extensively—including curriculum standards—on the topic. So I took some time to review Florida’s. The bottom line: they are excellent.”

1/9 The outcry over Florida's African American History standards is absurd. That happens to be my academic field as a historian; I use to write extensively—including curriculum standards—on the topic. So I took some time to review Florida’s. The bottom line: they are excellent.

— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) July 28, 2023

The false claims originated late last week when Vice President Kamala Harris took a trip to Jacksonville, Florida, to attack the new curriculum, falsely claiming that “in the state of Florida, they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery.”

Harris seized on one sentence from the 216-page curriculum that clarified how freed slaves used skills they learned and developed during slavery to help themselves later in their lives: “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

The College Board included a similar item in its course framework for AP African American Studies for 2023-2024. The curriculum identifies as “essential knowledge”: “In addition to agricultural work, enslaved people learned specialized trades and worked as painters, carpenters, tailors, musicians, and healers in the North and South. Once free, American Americans used these skills to provide for themselves and others.”

The College Board’s AP college prep classes are available in thousands of schools across the U.S.

“In my experience as a historian of African American history, Florida’s standards actually are a model for other states,” Roberts said. “They are comprehensive in topics covered, do not shy away from difficult topics, and—as history should—use examples of heroic people who fought oppression.”

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2/9 In my experience as a historian of African American history, Florida's standards actually are a model for other states. They are comprehensive in topics covered, do not shy away from difficult topics, and—as history should—use examples of heroic people who fought oppression.

— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) July 28, 2023

Roberts then highlighted that Florida’s standards state: “Instructional materials shall include the vital contributions of African Americans to build & strengthen American society and celebrate the inspirational stories of African Americans who prospered, even in the most difficult circumstances.”

“The controversial section—’Instruction includes how slaves developed skills, which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit’—is wholly accurate,” Roberts said. “Some slaves, in some circumstances, were able to earn money that some even used to purchase their freedom.”

4/9 The controversial section—"Instruction includes how slaves developed skills, which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit"—is wholly accurate. Some slaves, in some circumstances, were able to earn money that some even used to purchase their freedom.

— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) July 28, 2023

“In no way does mentioning that ‘personal benefit’ for some slaves, in some instances, amount to defending slavery or making slavery sound better–rather, it shows the amazing, heroic perseverance of enslaved people amid an evil system,” he said. “The author of the standards, African American historian Dr. William B. Allen–former chairman of the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights–said as much in an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, who himself acknowledged that Allen was ‘correct.'”

“Dr. Allen, in response to criticism about the ‘personal benefit’ phrase: ‘When I look at that language, I see what Booker T. Washington meant when he entitled his autobiography ‘Up From Slavery’ rather than ‘Down In Slavery,'” Roberts added. “Dr. Allen continued: ‘I see what Douglass meant when he described his slave mistress teaching him to read only at the beginning because his owner put a stop to it. But that small glimmer of light was enough to inspire him to turn it into a burning flame of illumination…'”

Roberts then addressed what he believes is driving the false claims about Florida’s African American History Curriculum.

“This controversy about FL’s history standards has nothing to do with history, which is accurately & beautifully captured,” Roberts added. “Rather, it’s all about politics and trying to knee-cap one of conservatism’s leaders. God bless @GovRonDeSantis for his courage amid this ridiculous fire.”

9/9 This controversy about FL's history standards has nothing to do with history, which is accurately & beautifully captured. Rather, it's all about politics and trying to knee-cap one of conservatism's leaders. God bless @GovRonDeSantis for his courage amid this ridiculous fire.

— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) July 28, 2023

Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Southern Illinois University will pay a Christian student $80,000 after she filed a lawsuit claiming the school had silenced her conservative political views.

Maggie DeJong, who graduated from the school’s art therapy counseling program last year, sued Southern Illinois University last year, saying her university punished her when other students complained about her being outspoken on her conservative views.

The university settled the lawsuit for $80,000 this week, according to DeJong’s legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom.

“Public universities can’t punish students for expressing their political and religious viewpoints. Maggie, like every other student, is protected under the First Amendment to respectfully share her personal beliefs, and university officials were wrong to issue gag orders and silence her speech,” said attorney Mathew Hoffmann of Alliance Defending Freedom in a press release Wednesday.

“As a result of Maggie’s courage in filing suit, SIUE has agreed to take critical steps to comply with the law and the U.S. Constitution and move closer to accepting and embracing true diversity of thought and speech,” Hoffmann said.

As part of the settlement, three professors will take mandatory First Amendment training.

The settlement also requires Southern Illinois University to revise its student handbook and policies to “ensure students with varying political, religious and ideological views are welcome in the art therapy program.”

In her lawsuit, DeJong said the school launched an investigation and issued three “no contact” orders against her when other students complained about her conservative views, dubbing them “harmful” and “harassment.”

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The “no contact” orders banned DeJong from having “any contact” or even “indirect communication” with the three other art therapy graduate students who complained.

“Maggie wasn’t given a chance to defend herself. When they issued the orders, university officials didn’t even tell her what the allegations against her were, and they did not identify a single law, policy, or rule that she had violated. That’s because she hadn’t violated any,” her legal team wrote in an explanation of the case on Alliance Defending Freedom’s website last year.

Previously, DeJong said she often spoke up and offered her conservative perspective during class discussions on hot-button topics such as race relations, religion, COVID, and censorship.

DeJong also posted her conservative views on her Instagram account, which included her pro-life position, her defense of Kyle Rittenhouse, and her criticism of Critical Race Theory.

“Justice and truth prevailed in the face of lies and deception from the mainstream media trying to twist the narrative,” DeJong wrote in one post after Rittenhouse was acquitted in 2021 of all charges, including murder, arising from his fatally shooting two men in 2020 during riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“This gives hope to Americans. Praying protection over those jurors who have been threatened their lives,” DeJong wrote.

Southern Illinois University Chancellor James Minor acknowledged the settlement in a statement.

He added, however, that he hoped people would “see beyond the sensationalism of clickbait, media reports and headlines in search of a more complete understanding of the facts.”

“SIUE is unequivocally committed to protecting First Amendment rights and does not have policies that restrict free speech nor support censorship,” Minor said in a statement.