Polk State College to host inaugural event observing Victims of Communism Day
Polk State College will host its inaugural event in observance of Victims of Communism Day on November 5. The program will feature Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, award-winning author and co-founder of the Cuban Democratic Directorate.
The College invites students and the public to examine the historical record of communist regimes and the experiences of those who lived under them. It will take place on the Lakeland Campus in the Lakeland Technology Building (LTB) Room 1100 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Dr. Gutiérrez-Boronat was born in Havana in 1965. His family left Cuba in 1971 and settled in the U.S. In 1990 he co-founded the Cuban Democratic Directorate (Directorio Democrático Cubano), a nonprofit organization that advocates for human rights and democratic change in Cuba.
He later helped establish Radio República, which provides uncensored news to audiences on the island, and has served in the leadership of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy of international studies from the University of Miami, along with graduate and undergraduate degrees in political science and communications from Florida International University.
He is an invited lecturer and has written on Cuban democracy, resistance, and the human cost of authoritarian rule. Gutiérrez-Boronat has made numerous media appearances and has lectured at colleges and universities throughout the U.S., including Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has also met with world leaders from across the globe, including in the U.S., Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, and more.
More than 90 days into Polk State President Anastasios Kamoutsas’ tenure, the event aligns with his Where Eagles Soar initiative, which encourages students to be civically engaged and responsible citizens. On September 17, Polk State hosted Congressman Byron Donalds (R) and Florida Senator Rosalind Osgood (D) to speak at Constitution Day events on the Lakeland and Winter Haven campuses.
“Observing Victims of Communism Day with Dr. Gutiérrez-Boronat gives our students a direct encounter with the lived experience of those who opposed a system that denied basic freedoms. That kind of conversation belongs on a college campus,” President Kamoutsas said. “At Polk State, we are committed to fostering civic engagement and forming graduates who can weigh ideas, history, and evidence for themselves.”
The event is free and open to the public. Food will be provided to students who present a Polk State ID, courtesy of the Student Activities and Leadership Office.