NAPLES, Fla. – A teacher at a Collier County school is facing backlash from parents after they showed a video celebrating “Confederate History Month” to the entire school.
The video aired as part of the morning announcements on Tuesday at Manatee Middle School, according to a district spokesperson.
“If you didn’t know, April is an officially celebrated month here in the State of Florida named Confederate History Month,” the teacher said in the video.
The school district wouldn’t identify who the teacher is but said they are investigating.
“Every year our state celebrates and memorializes that valiant, brave fight and the countless sacrifices by our men and women during that known as the Civil War,” said the teacher in the video.
The teacher bills the video as a look into the state’s recognition of Confederate History Month.
However, parents call this pro-Confederate propaganda.
“It was very biased seeming,” said Casey Smith. “The confederacy, as far as I’m concerned, has always been a stain on American history.”
“To me, it looks like straight out of a Confederate sympathizer playbook,” said Annie O’Donnell.
At one point in the video, the teacher suggests a different name for the Civil War.
“[The] Civil War, but may be more correctly titled the War To Prevent Southern Independence,” he said.
“No. It is the Civil War,” responded Casey Smith. “It has always been called the Civil War.”
Parents tell NBC2 they have no problem talking about slavery, the Civil War, or our nation’s darkest days.
“Some of this actually sounds very accurate,” Smith said.
The issue they have is with what the teacher made up and put in the video and in front of their child’s faces.
“They spoke about celebrating the confederacy in the State of Florida,” Smith said.
O’Donnell, whose kids don’t go to Manatee Middle School, said it’s important for kids to learn about our nation’s history, but not in a way like this.
“Doing it accurately, holistically, fully,” she said. “I would find it difficult to imagine that the students here are going to be able to trust this particular teacher again.”
The State of Florida does recognize April as Confederate History Month. Several movements in recent years have failed. In Florida, the birthdays of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, along with Confederate Memorial Day are all considered state-legal holidays.
Collier County Public Schools said the instruction of Confederate History Month is not a part of the district’s curriculum.
The district wouldn’t identify who the teacher is, but a spokesperson did say they are still employed while the school investigates.
Scottie's Playtime 
Back when I was in public school, there were a few kids who first learned to call the Civil War “the War of Northern Agression,” but I never heard the bit about Southern Independence before reading this.
The whole thing makes my head explode.
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Hello Ali. I never really knew any black people growing up. I first encountered a lot of black people in the military. So I was never a racist, I had no reason to be. I was shocked when Ron and I were living in WPB and we had a great neighbor who happened to be black and my adoptive father called him an N word openly / publicly. I tried to stop him saying he couldn’t call people that, at which point he told me that he had called “them people that all his life and wouldn’t change now”. I was stunned not knowing what to do when Ron walked up and threw his suitcase on the floor and said he could pack it and leave, or respect our neighbors. The adoptive father was stunned as he was not use to being addressed that way. They stayed but it was unpleasant their visit. I was so proud of Ron!
I was sure that President Obama wouldn’t be elected because living in the south I have seen the racism. When he was elected twice I figured that Racism really was on the decline. I couldn’t imagine the open and powerful backlash paid for and push for by serious big money on the right.
Ali I have seen what was hidden go to be promoted proudly, and every advance of racist intent pushed further every time. I am stunned how open it is now here in Florida now that we are the MAGA paradise. It is worse than I have ever seen it. In fact it scares me how open it is here the hate for black people and the LGBTQ+. These people really want to change the country and history to go back to a southern states where they can own other humans as property, abuse them as you wish, and these same Christian people want to change the history so it reflects how nice white people were to those savage blacks giving them food while taking care of them simply asking they work and provide their bodies for the sexual pleasure of the white people. How ungrateful of the blacks to deny such a gift of being property and abused when the white people were being so nice using them.
Sorry Ali that this went so dark. It really upsets me the attempt to change the history taught to kids. I know that when James was a kid coming to our home from his Christian school the history he was being taught was a complete fabrication of the history of our country. It was stunning what he was being taught, it was totally made up religious dogma and southern racism. Luckily there was the internet then and we would sit down with James and show him the real history of the US. But again to pass his tests he had to repeat what the teachers said. But at least he learned the difference, but how many other kids in his class never got the correction and now are in their late 20s / early 30s spreading the lies they are sure was the real history they were taught? That is the issue the US faces today, decades of kids since the 1980s teaching their kids who teach their kids all these lies that they are willing to fight is the truth. Hugs
Oh and one other things, when James went on to collage he was able to adapt due to our showing him the real history, but think how many kids going from a Florida school denying the truth of history to college in a state with real standards? No way the Florida kids can succeed. Hugs
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