Conservatives are coming after the staffer of a newly-approved, right-wing education vendor just approved in Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ state of Florida for a racist social post where he said Black people are “coddled by society” and have “never been told no before.”
Black and white conservatives alike publicly denounced Aldo Buttazzoni’s post that he made in response to a viral video of a Target employee calling the police on an in-store Black flash mob that many believed was a racially-motivated crackdown.
So, Buttazzoni wrote this in response:
He clarified his thoughts after users condemned his comments, saying that his remarks didn’t apply to “every Black person” but to “many young people who pull the race card when it doesn’t apply.”
“Many young people today across races aren’t told no enough, and when they are, they’re quick to scream victimhood instead of taking personal accountability,” Buttazzoni continued. “I was inarticulate with my generalization, but I stand by the overall point.”
Buttazzoni works for PragerU, an unaccredited education vendor that the Florida Board of Education just approved for supplemental use in the state’s classrooms. The foundation describes itself as “a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education” that teaches “American values” and creates short, educational videos on topics like history, civics, philosophy, economics, and several social issues.
Buttazzoni’s colleagues and media personalities working for PragerU came down hard on the post, including Black conservatives like Xaviaer DuRousseau and CJ Pearson.
One source told The Daily Beast that the “off-base” post set off “a lot of anxiety” within the organization during a time when PragerU is working to get their content into Florida’s classrooms.
Other conservatives who responded to Buttazzoni’s post include Kimberly Klacik, the Republican congressional nominee in Maryland’s 7th District special election in 2020 following the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings. Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones co-signed Klacik’s response after Klacik suggested that Buttazzoni would benefit from speaking to Black Republicans.
