Several anti-racist statements put out by University of Central Florida departments have been removed from department websites following the enaction of Florida’s Stop WOKE Act.
The anti-racist statements across departments were crafted in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that followed. The statements committed the departments to working to teach ideas outside an ossified and occasionally racist canon, and pushed the idea of undoing centuries of wrongheadedness.
The removal by the university caused a stir among faculty members.
“This is a complete infringement of academic freedom,” Religious Studies Professor Ann Gleig told the Associated Press. “The [philosophy department’s] statement was crafted over a period of time with dialogue and input across a twenty person plus faculty trained in philosophy, religion and cultural studies and the humanities.”
Earlier this month, the UCF English department appended and then removed a disclaimer to their anti-racist statement, saying that the language and initiatives within were now illegal under a Florida law barring race-related instruction. At the time, UCF officials claimed that the move was taken by the English department without any pressure from the university.
“The department took this action, which was not required by the law, without any direction from the university. Florida’s new law speaks to classrooms and training, and we are confident in our faculty’s ability to objectively engage students in robust, scholarly discussions; expand their knowledge; and empower them to freely express their views and form their own conclusions,” a spokesperson shared at the time. “Freedom of speech, civil discourse and academic freedom are at the core of our values.”
UCF’s Chad Binette told AP the mass removal of anti-racist statements this week was an effort to suss out statements that are “potentially inconsistent with our commitment to creating a welcoming environment — one where faculty objectively engage students in robust, scholarly discussions that expand their knowledge and empower them to freely express their views and form their own perspectives.”
The vague Stop WOKE Act, which became law on the first of this month, bars teaching that a person is “either privileged or oppressed” due to their “race, color, sex, or national origin.” Florida Democrats have accused the law of attempting to whitewash American history. Orlando Rep. and UCF Alum Carlos Guillermo Smith called the move “out-of-control censorship” on Twitter.
The DeSantis regime has made the anti-racist mission of my alma mater AGAINST THE LAW.
This is a consequence of HB 7 and the Governor’s out-of-control censorship agenda.
This is not freedom. https://t.co/5o6Xc7LNMs
— Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) July 13, 2022