Kamala and Biden say nation can't 'erase' America's past at black history event

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris each used a Black History Month event at the White House to poke at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' war on 'woke' history.

Biden also talked up the influence the so-called 'Divine Nine' black Greek organizations, of which Harris is involved, as a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 

'I may be a white boy, but I’m not stupid,' Biden said, talking up the clout of the organizations.

Harris, the nation's first black vice president, told a crowd of guests that 'Black history is American history,' and spoke of celebrating history 'that helps us to understand how the past has influenced the present and potentially our future.'

'And let us all be clear,' she intoned. 'We will not as a nation build a better future for America by trying to erase America's past.'

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a reception celebrating Black History Month at the White House, where they warned about efforts to 'erase' the nation's past

The line sounded like a shot at the move by Florida's Education Department under DeSantis, which moved to reject an AP course on African American studies.

The move drew a court challenge last month among critics who fear a sanitized version of history that leaves out ugly chapters in the nation's history.

DeSantis tweeted that education 'is about the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of ideology or the advancement of a political agenda.' 

Biden made his own pitch in that regard, saying 'Black history matters,' and calling for 'the good, the bad, the truth, and who we are as a nation.'

High school senior DuWayne Portis Jr. introduces Vice President Kamala Harris at a reception marking Black History Month at the White House. Harris predicted he would get into Howard University

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Education Department rejected an AP course on African American studies as part of his war on 'woke' policies

Harris and Biden could end up on a ticket against DeSantis if he ends up running for president

They met with lawmakers including Rep. Al Green, D-Tex., (center right) at the event

Biden speaks next to NBA Hall of Fame basketball player Nate "Tiny" Archibald at an event to celebrate Black History Month

'That’s what great nations do, and we’re a great nation,' Biden said.

He also mentioned the screening he held recently for Till, a film about the lynching of Emmett Till. 

'We hosted a screening because it's important to say from the White House, for the entire country to hear, history matters.,' he said. 

'We can't just choose to learn what we want to know. We learn what we should know, to learn everything,' he said.