DeSantis Rallies Moms for Liberty at National Summit, Urges Political Activism

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off a convergence of about 600 conservative moms in Tampa on July 15 by urging them to push back against woke ideology, especially in schools.

In a 50-minute speech punctuated by cheers of approval, the Republican governor encouraged the mothers from around the country to have the courage to track decisions of local school boards, challenge elected representatives, and even run for office.

Attacks from “the media” and “the left” will be brutal, DeSantis warned.

But the struggle will be worth it, he promised, for parents who choose to fight against liberal initiatives, such as critical race theory woven into school curricula or sexual subjects taught to the youngest schoolchildren.

People in favor of these practices “don’t want anybody who’s going to shed light on any of the problems with these narratives,” said the father of three children under six.

DeSantis’ speech launched the Joyful Warriors National Summit, a convention organized by the rapidly growing Moms for Liberty.

But not everyone was applauding.

Outside, a handful of protestors gathered, holding signs objecting to Desantis’ assertions that some teachers indoctrinate children, saying he owes the state’s educators an apology.

Protesters hold signs criticizing Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis while he was making a speech nearby in downtown Tampa on July 15, 2022. (Natasha Holt/The Epoch Times) ‘We Do Not Co-Parent With Government’

Desantis’ appearance marked the start of the first national meeting of Moms for Liberty since the group began in Florida in 2021. The organization first birthed two local chapters, bringing together moms angry about pandemic-related school closures, forced masking of children, explicit materials in school libraries, and other issues.

The movement quickly spread across the nation. Moms mobilized, attending school board meetings wearing T-shirts proclaiming, “We do not co-parent with the government!”

Now, more than