Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that requires public schools teach the history of communism in classrooms.

The Republican governor signed SB 1264 into law to “tell the truth about communism in the state of Florida.”

“The bill requires teaching on the history of communism in Florida public schools, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. According to the bill’s text, the lessons will be ‘age appropriate and developmentally appropriate’ for each age,” FOX 13 Tampa Bay reports.

“We’re going to tell the truth about the evils of communism,” DeSantis said in front of a podium that read ‘Anti-Communist Education.’

“We’re going to tell the truth about the unprecedented death toll of the 20th century at the hands of communist tyranny. 100 million killed at the hands of communist regimes, spreading from China, to the Soviet Union, to Cuba,” he continued.

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According to Florida’s Voice, the curriculum requirements include:

  • Teaching the history of communism in the United States
  • The atrocities committed in foreign countries under communism
  • comparative discussion of extreme political ideologies
  • The increasing threat of communism in the United States
  • The economic, industrial, and political events that have preceded and anticipated communist revolutions
  • The communist policies and practices of Cuba and Latin America

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Florida’s Voice reports:

DeSantis added how the state has made significant efforts to combat communist influence, including providing resources that the Florida Department of Education that can be used to help educate students.

“I want to thank the legislators for spearheading this,” he continued. “We’re proud of the legislation that we’ve done, we’re proud of the funding that we’ve done.”

DeSantis also honored the 63rd anniversary of the Bay of Pig invasion, by the celebrating the service and bravery of those who partook in it the historic event.

“63 years ago we had a lot of brave men suit up and fight communism, and fight tyranny,” he said. “We are committed to telling the truth of this ideology and we are going to make sure that people have a very accurate understanding of the human carnage that has resulted from communist regimes throughout history.”

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. complimented the governor for his work to advocate for the victims of communism and help promote education and awareness of the ideology.

He explained how it was unfortunate that some people in the state are not exposed to the evils of the belief system since they didn’t have a family member or relative who experienced it first hand.

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From FOX 13 Tampa Bay:

Rafael Montalvo, president of Brigade 2506 Veterans Association, was among the people who addressed the crowd at the Hialeah Gardens Museum. The museum features a building funded through the Florida Department of State that was constructed to honor “the noble efforts of the 2506 Assault Brigade during the Bay of Pigs Invasion.”

“The most important fight against communism is the one that’s done in the schoolrooms,” Montalvo said. “That’s where the battle is happening right now. And this is going to be a tool that’s going to give us the victory in that area.”

Florida’s public school students currently can encounter lessons on communism in high-school social studies classes and in a seventh-grade civics and government course. A high-school U.S. government class that is a requirement for graduation also includes 45 minutes of instruction on “Victims of Communism Day.”

Florida also previously had a course titled ‘Americanism vs. Communism,’ which was required for public high school students between 1961 and 1991.

With the state set to bolster its communism history offerings in schools, Diaz highlighted how anti-communism sentiment is strong in South Florida.

The measure authorizes the education department to seek input from “any individual who was a victim of communism or any state or nationally recognized organization dedicated to the victims of communism,” as it crafts standards for the curriculum.

 

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