Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new bill that establishes November 7th as “Victims of Communism Day” in the state. He announced it via Twitter, noting that the purpose of the day is “to honor those who have suffered under communism and remind people of the destruction communism has caused worldwide, including a death toll exceeding 100 million. In Florida, we will tell the truth about communism.”

Today, I established November 7th as Victims of Communism Day to honor those who have suffered under communism and remind people of the destruction communism has caused worldwide, including a death toll exceeding 100 million.

In Florida, we will tell the truth about communism. pic.twitter.com/Ojlao8f46t

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 9, 2022

In the video shared with the tweet, DeSantis said:

Today, I am signing HB 395, which will officially designate November 7th as “Victims of Communism Day” to honor the more than 100 million people who have fallen victim to communist regimes across the world.

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation was established in 1993 by a unanimous Act of Congress, which was then signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The Foundation praised the passage of the legislation by Florida’s legislature in March, noting that Florida would be joining Alabama, Texas, Utah, and Virginia with its designation. Eight other states — Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina — are also moving to pass similar resolutions. (Note: That list includes both red and blue states.)

Governor DeSantis’ office also issued a press release in connection with Monday’s designation. From that release:

HB 395 establishes November 7 as “Victims of Communism Day” and calls for public schools to observe the day. High school students will be required to receive at least 45 minutes of instruction in their required United States Government class on topics related to communist regimes and how victims suffered at the hands of these regimes. Instruction on these topics will be required starting in the 2023-2024 school year.

….

$25 million in funding will be given to Miami-Dade College to support preservation and enhancement of the Freedom Tower, currently home to the Miami-Dade College Museum of Art and Design. The Museum houses the Cuban Legacy Gallery and the Exile Experience which honors the legacy of Cuban Americans. The Freedom Tower was used for the Cuban Assistance Center in the 1960s to help Cubans fleeing the communist regime access resources for their new lives in the United States.

The funding will be used to complete urgent structural repairs, conserve and restore historical architectural components, install museum-quality climate control and security systems to safeguard pieces housed in the museum, enhance museum exhibits and make the building more accessible for people with disabilities.

SB 160 creates a number of honorary designations of transportation facilities throughout Florida. There will be 26 road designations across the state, including three designations to honor Cubans who fought against the Castro Regime. Those three designations will honor Arturo Diaz Artiles and Oswaldo Paya through road designations in Miami-Dade County as well as Maximino and Coralia Capdevila through road designations in Hillsborough County.

As noted in the release, Cuban Human Rights Activist Rosa María Payá said this about the designation:

“Next July will mark the tenth anniversary of the killing of my father at the hands of the Cuban regime. As thousands of Cubans have done before and as we talk today, at least 1,000 Cubans are suffering political imprisonment for peacefully marching demanding freedom. It is time to stop this process, this factory of victims of communism. I appreciate this initiative and the fact that we are honoring the victims of communism by teaching young people about the evils of communism and the moral obligation we have to stop it.”

Congratulations to the State of Florida for formally recognizing the perils of Communism and setting aside a day to memorialize its many victims. Missouri’s Senate unanimously voted to do the same on April 7th of this year and it appears the bill may have just passed out of the House on May 6th, so Missouri may soon be joining Florida in establishing a Victims of Communism Day.