A high school in Florida suggested Gov. Ron DeSantis’ memoir as required summer reading to its students.
Students in AP Language and Composition class at Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee, Florida were given a list of books to meet their summer reading requirements, including DeSantis’ The Courage to be Free.
The school said the book is about DeSantis’ “upbringing as well as the policies that have guided his administration.”
Under the DeSantis administration students in Florida were victims of useless culture wars that led to policies targeting minorities and the LGBTQ+ community.
He signed the ‘Stop WOKE’ act into law which bans the teaching of certain topics that compel students to feel guilt or shame about their race because of historical events.
The law restricts how race is taught in the state’s public schools and led to the Florida Department of Education rejecting an Advanced Placement course on African American studies because it “significantly lacks educational value.”
The department also rejected math textbooks due to “impermissible” content, including lessons on critical race theory.
DeSantis also signed legislation restricting sexual education and classroom “instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Pre-K through 8th grade.” The law allows parents to challenge any book they deem as inappropriate and demand its removal.
3,135 books were banned in Florida between July and December 2023 as a result, according to advocacy group PEN America.
