‘The Gilded Age’ Star Denée Benton Calls Ron DeSantis ‘the Grand Wizard’ in Tony Awards Speech

The actress took aim at the presidential candidate's recent moves to strip schools of classes that mention diversity and inclusion or critical race theory

Actress and singer Denée Benton compared Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard during Sunday's Tony Awards, taking aim at the presidential candidate's recent moves to strip schools of classes that mention diversity and inclusion or critical race theory.

The Florida-born Broadway actress, who also stars in HBO's The Gilded Age, made the remark while on stage to acknowledge the winner of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award from Carnegie Mellon University, her alma mater.

"Hi, I'm Denée Benton, actor and proud CMU alum. Earlier tonight, CMU and the Tony Awards presented the 2023 Excellence in Theatre Education Award," Benton said. "And while I am certain that the current Grand Wizard — I'm sorry, excuse me, governor of my home state of Florida will be changing…"

After laughter and applause settled down, Benton continued: "I am sure that he will be changing the name of this following town immediately. We were honored to present this award to the truly incredible and life-changing Jason Zembuch Young, enhancing the lives of students at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida."

Just last month, DeSantis — who recently announced his 2024 presidential campaign — signed a bill that will eliminate funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs from public universities and prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in general education courses.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (also known as DEI) and critical race theory (or CRT) courses have become a hot-button topic, particularly among conservatives who argue that the classes will teach white students that they are inferior to their minority peers. Progressives, however, say that these classes help foster a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

Related: Ron DeSantis Eliminates Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Funding at Florida Public Universities

DeSantis has argued against them, claiming that "woke" ideology is racially divisive and discriminatory. CRT, he has said, is "state-sanctioned racism that ... [teaches] kids to hate our country or to hate each other."

SB 266 mandates that any Florida College System institution "may not expend any state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that ... advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promote or engage in political or social activism."

The bill also forbids Florida's public colleges from offering general education courses that "distort significant historical events," or are "based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, or economic inequities."

Related: The Most Controversial Bills Ron DeSantis Has Signed into Florida Law So Far This Year

DeSantis' support for the bill comes on the heels of a decision his administration made in January, to reject a new Advanced Placement course on African American history, saying in a letter that the course "lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law."

One education-related bill signed into law by the governor last year — which requires schools to submit instructional material to the state's Department of Education for textbook review — has already led to confusion among textbook manufacturers. CNN reports that textbook-maker Studies Weekly removed references to race from a passage on Rosa Parks being arrested after refusing to change her bus seat in 1955.

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