Governor Ron DeSantis Declares November 7 As ‘Victims of Communism’ Day

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a staunch Republican, has signed H.B. 395 into law, designating November 7 as “Victims of Communism Day,” one that will require public school students to undergo a minimum of 45 minutes of anti-communist teachings once a year, starting in the 2023-24 school year.

According to an article in News 4 JAX:

“DeSantis also approved $25 million for the restoration of Miami’s historic Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College. The Freedom Tower is considered the ‘Ellis Island of the South’ for its role from 1962 through 1974 as the Cuban Assistance Center, offering nationally sanctioned relief to the Cuban refugees who sought political asylum from the regime of Fidel Castro.”

November 7 is significant to communists as the day that Vladimir Lenin installed the Bolshevik Party government in what was then known as the USSR, or the Soviet Union. The new statewide Florida law was proposed to honor those who fled to Florida from the Cuban government under Fidel Castro starting in 1959.

Since the beginning of the Cuban Revolution, thousands upon thousands of Cuban immigrants have made their way to the United States, the vast majority of them through Florida, which has a thriving Cuban population. However, many have responded to the new law unfavorably, especially in light of the rise of right-wing fascist movements in the U.S.