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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/18/florida-activists-rightwing-school-boards>
"Jimmy Glover’s youngest children were in high school when he noticed their
Florida school district taking an unsettling turn. Beloved books were being
pulled from shelves. Teachers were scared of being targeted.
“There was this culture of fear that was permeating throughout the district,”
Glover said of Sarasota county.
By channeling anger against mask mandates in schools, the rightwing group Moms
for Liberty, founded in Florida, built an outsized influence on school boards
across the country in 2022. Soon, members began pressuring schools to remake
their curricula along conservative ideological lines, erasing mentions of
LGBTQ+ Americans, slavery, racism and more.
As a Black dad living in a historically Black part of Sarasota, Glover said he
was especially disturbed by governor Ron DeSantis’s announcement that Florida
schools would begin teaching students that some Black people benefited from
slavery. “Now my children and the students in my community weren’t going to be
learning about the true history of this country,” Glover said.
So the father of four decided to run for Sarasota’s school board this year. He
is part of a larger movement of students, parents, teachers and concerned
community members pushing back against the influence of groups like Moms for
Liberty in Florida public education. They wanted schools that were safe and
welcoming for all students, and that focused on learning rather than scoring
points on the national political scene.
And last month, they won."
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
