For Immediate Release
Feb. 16, 2024
ORLANDO – When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis forbade advanced placement courses in African American Studies, Rev. Rhonda Thomas of Faith in Florida created toolkit and encouraged congregations to teach Black history themselves. More than 500 congregations signed up to teach using her toolkit. Now, she is responding to another challenge. The Florida legislature is considering bills which will mandate all Florida public schools (K-12) to teach about the history of communism, including communist policies in Cuba and Latin America. The measures under consideration are SB 1264 and HB 1349.
“The mandate is an attempt to cast anything that doesn’t fall within the governor’s worldview as communist. It is an effort to indoctrinate Florida’s youngest minds,” Thomas said. “It is also a missed opportunity to teach Black history.”
Rev. Thomas and partners will host a convening Feb. 29 through March 2 to plan their response and prepare for the upcoming legislative session. For more information, or to speak with Rev. Rhonda, please contact press@spotlightpr.org or llyons@faithinflorida.org.
“The state’s priorities are off track and out of alignment with Florida and the rest of the nation,” Thomas concluded.
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