Florida’s new Social Studies standards sanitize the McCarthy Hearings
Shortly after I posted on Facebook that I was reading through all 30 pages of these standards, Stephana Ferrell of Florida Freedom to Read asked if I would be interested in talking to a reporter at the Tampa Bay Times,
NOVEMBER 3, 2025–Last week, Florida released new social studies standards that specifically re-examines Senator McCarthy and emphasized anti-communism messages for grades 9-12.
Shortly after I posted on Facebook that I was reading through all 30 pages of these standards, Stephana Ferrell of Florida Freedom to Read asked if I would be interested in talking to a reporter at the Tampa Bay Times, and here is the resulting piece. Please do read it here, as multiple Historians weighed in before me.
“In today’s media landscape, with intentional threats against free speech, independent media, and anything that removes the veneer of American exceptionalism, rebranding McCarthy only brings us in line with the very oppressive governments that these standards say they want to warn us against,” Jenkins said via email."
Photo/Image Credit: Tampa Bay Times