How They Defend the Freedom to Learn

It’s a race to the bottom in Florida, where lawmakers have sealed the state’s reputation as the country’s epicenter of discriminatory censorship in schools. Over the past few years, new policies and laws in Florida have stopped teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity, while also repressing honest efforts to grapple with systemic racism and slavery.
 
Sadly, Florida is not alone. Since 2020, discriminatory educational censorship laws have spread rapidly across the United States. Conservative groups helped fuel this change by organizing a 50-state campaign, providing state lawmakers with template legislation imposing discriminatory restrictions on the teaching of essential information. Today, nearly half of US public school students attend schools impacted by educational censorship laws.
 
Many people have taken a stand against these prejudiced policies – including in Florida. There, students, parents, churches, cultural institutions, educators, and advocates work to change state laws and stop local censorship, while also developing ways to get students the information they need. Their goal: to build a brighter future for the state.