The daughter of a Hollywood screenwriter who faced imprisonment and blacklisting during the McCarthy era has strongly criticized Florida’s newly approved social studies standards, which critics argue attempt to rehabilitate the controversial anti-communist movement of the 1950s.

“The new Florida standards you write about are appalling,” Mitzi Trumbo told The Associated Press in an email Thursday. “History should never be rewritten to match the politics of the day, as history has valuable lessons to teach.”

The standards, recently approved by the Florida Board of Education for middle and high school students, include instruction on how “‘McCarthyism’ as an insult” and terms like “red-baiter and Red Scare” constitute “slander against anti-communists.” This language effectively softens decades of historical criticism directed at former U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and the movement he spearheaded.

McCarthy led a sweeping political campaign to root out what he claimed was communist infiltration in government, civil rights organizations, and artistic communities during the late 1940s and early 1950s. The period was marked by public inquisitions, ideological loyalty tests, and widespread career destruction that historians widely consider a dark chapter in American history.

Mitzi Trumbo’s father, Dalton Trumbo, was among the most prominent victims of this era. Once Hollywood’s highest-paid screenwriter, he wrote classics including “Roman Holiday” and “Spartacus.” After refusing to answer questions about communist affiliations when called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947, Trumbo spent 11 months in federal prison and was subsequently blacklisted.

“My siblings and I had some difficult and painful experiences growing up in the 1950s,” Mitzi Trumbo explained, referencing the profound impact her father’s imprisonment and blacklisting had on their family life.

During his blacklisting, Dalton Trumbo continued writing under pseudonyms or through colleagues who fronted for him. Ironically, he won Academy Awards for scripts written during this period, including “Roman Holiday” and “The Brave One,” though he couldn’t publicly claim the honors. It wasn’t until 1960 that Trumbo finally received public credit for screenplays “Exodus” and “Spartacus,” effectively ending his blacklisting. His story later became the subject of the 2015 film “Trumbo,” starring Bryan Cranston.

Trumbo’s experience was far from unique. Other blacklisted figures included actress Lee Grant, singer and actress Lena Horne, and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, among hundreds of entertainment professionals who saw their careers derailed.

Florida’s controversial new teaching benchmarks stem from legislation signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024 that mandates instruction on “the consequences of communism” purportedly to protect students from indoctrination in higher education. The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature has also designated November 7 as Victims of Communism Day in public schools, requiring at least 45 minutes of instruction on figures like Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro.

“It is our responsibility to make sure future generations can thrive and they learn how to think, not what to think,” said state board of education member Layla Collins during Thursday’s standards meeting.

Under these standards, Florida teachers must provide instruction on efforts by “anti-communist politicians” including McCarthy, HUAC, President Harry Truman, and President Richard Nixon. They must also identify what the standards characterize as “propaganda and defamation” used to “delegitimize” anti-communists.

Critics argue these revisions represent a concerning attempt to rewrite historical consensus on a period that saw constitutional rights trampled and lives destroyed based often on unsubstantiated accusations and guilt by association.

Speaking from her northern California home, Mitzi Trumbo declined phone or video interviews, citing discomfort with discussing politics “especially in today’s political climate.” However, she emphasized the importance of honest historical reckoning.

“I am glad people are speaking out about the actual history of the period and are explaining how careers and lives were destroyed by HUAC and McCarthyism,” she said, “and how dangerous such political repression is to our freedom of speech and to democracy itself.”