Scott critical of DeSantis stance on Florida black history curriculum, 'no silver lining in slavery'

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is criticizing fellow 2024 GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his comments about his administration's new black history curriculum for public schools. 

The curriculum has in large part been criticized for language in the curriculum that states slaves “developed skills” that benefited them when slavery was legal in America.

DeSantis has said the curriculum is "rooted in whatever is factual."

He also suggested the curriculum would show students slaves benefitted from slavery, for example, “being a blacksmith into doing things later in life.

Scott told the Politico news outlet: “There is no silver lining in slavery.  Slavery was really about separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating.”

Vice President Kamala Harris also criticized the curriculum earlier this week. 

“They dare to push propaganda to our children,” she said, according to The Hill. “Adults know what slavery really involved. It involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother.”

DeSantis pushed back on Harris' comments, saying that she was "lying" about what was in the curriculum.

“Anyone that actually read that and listens to Kamala [Harris] would know that she’s lying,” he said. “That particular provision about the skills, that was in spite of slavery not because of it.”