Harris Calls on Ben Crump for the Preamble, Then Makes a Claim Florida's Curriculum Author Calls 'Categorically False' (July 21, 2023)

In Jacksonville, Florida, Vice President Kamala Harris turned to the nation’s founding document, then called out to someone in the audience. “And let’s remember the preamble to the Constitution of the United States. Ben Crump,” she said. “Yes, ma’am,” answered Crump, a civil rights attorney, to laughter [1][2].

“‘We the People…in order to form a more perfect union’ is part of the spirit behind our founding as a democracy,” Harris continued [1].

Harris had flown in to attack Florida’s new standards for teaching African American history, which the state approved two days earlier, Fox News reported [3]. “This will be Vice President Harris’ 8th visit to Florida since being sworn in,” the White House said [2].

The video above shows the moment from Harris’s July 21, 2023, speech at the Ritz Theatre and Museum. Quotes are from the official White House transcript and the vice presidential pool reports [1][2].

”Benefited From Slavery”

Harris’s main charge was about middle school. “And now, on top of all of that, they want to replace history with lies. Middle school students in Florida to be told that enslaved people benefited from slavery,” she said [1].

The standard did not say that. “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,” it reads, as quoted by Fox News [6].

Dr. William Allen, who helped write the standards, called Harris’s claim false. “The reason I call the vice president’s statements categorically false is because it is obvious to anyone of basic literacy that the mere grammar of the sentence in the curriculum standards to which she referred refutes her charge,” he told Fox News Digital [4].

“In reality, the thorough curriculum details harsh conditions endured,” Fox reported [4].

”A Photograph of Their Spouse”

Harris added a claim about teachers. “These are the same extremist leaders — so-called leaders — who make teachers fear losing their job for having a photograph of their spouse on their desk,” she said [1]. She did not cite a case.

She also worked in a favorite line. “Any math teachers in the room? I love Venn diagrams,” Harris said [1]. For how often she has said it, see HYGO News’ page on “I love Venn diagrams”.

”Deny the Holocaust”

Harris went further. “This is not the first time that there are powerful forces that have attempted to distort history for the sake of political ends. Think about in the past how we have seen attempts to minimize and even deny the Holocaust,” she said [1].

She also went after Florida’s laws on books and classrooms. “Extremist so-called leaders for months have dared to ban books. Book bans in this year of our Lord 2023. Extremists here in Florida passed a law, ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ trying to instill fear in our teachers that they should not live their full life and love who they love,” Harris said [1].

”Except Recently, Sometimes”

On America’s standing abroad, Harris said she had “now met with over 100 world leaders — presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings.” Americans walk into those rooms, she said, “with the authority earned, for the most part — except recently, sometimes —” and the transcript notes that she laughed [1].

The official who introduced her, Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins, set the tone: “I realized public education was the battleground Republicans were choosing to wage a war on democracy,” the pool reported [2].

”Lie About Florida’s Educational Standards”

Gov. Ron DeSantis hit back the same day. “Democrats like Kamala Harris have to lie about Florida’s educational standards to cover for their agenda of indoctrinating students and pushing sexual topics onto children. Florida stands in their way, and we will continue to expose their agenda and their lies,” he said [3].

“The Harris-Biden administration is obsessed with Florida…yet they ignore the chaos at the border, crime-infested cities, economic malaise, and the military recruitment crisis,” DeSantis added [3].

”A Completely Made-Up Deal”

Even on CNN, the claim drew fire. “This is a completely made-up deal,” CNN political commentator Scott Jennings said, according to Fox News. “Everybody involved in this says this is completely a fabricated issue and yet look at how quickly Kamala Harris jumped on it” [6].

”Unnecessary Debates”

Harris closed by dismissing the other side. “This is unnecessary to debate whether enslaved people benefited from slavery. Are you kidding me?” she said [1].

The pool reported that she “was met with a standing ovation entering and exiting the stage, as well as twice during the speech.” Harris took the stage at 4:03 p.m. and “boarded AF2 at 4:51” [2]. The transcript records the speech ending at 4:27 p.m. [1]

By the Numbers

8th: Harris’s visit to Florida as vice president, per the White House [2].
24 minutes: the speech, from 4:03 to 4:27 p.m. [1]
2 days: from the standards’ approval to her speech, per Fox [3].
4: standing ovations, per the pool [2].
30: Florida’s electoral votes, all won by Trump in 2024 [7].

What Happened Next

DeSantis invited her back. “So given your grave concern (which, I must assume, is sincere) about what you think our standards say, I am officially inviting you back down to Florida to discuss our African American History standards,” DeSantis wrote in a letter, Fox reported [5].

He offered to work around her schedule “in case Harris was busy that day taking a trip to visit the U.S.-Mexico border,” Fox reported [5].

Harris doubled down. “I don’t think that this is subject to any ideological debate,” she told ABC News, according to Fox [5].

Florida voted. In the 2024 election, Trump won all 30 of Florida’s electoral votes and beat Harris 312 to 226 nationwide, according to the National Archives [7].