UWF
The University of West Florida’s Academy of American Civic Republicanism will host “Freedom Trucks: An Interactive Journey Through America’s Founding” as part of America250. The mobile museum is an interactive experience for all ages that explores the nation’s founding and the American Revolution.
- When: Oct. 20-22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
- Where: UWF Pensacola campus, Lot B
Who Is Behind the Tour
The sponsor. The Freedom Truck Tour is sponsored by PragerU, “a 501(c)(3) nonprofit…here to serve you with free content that helps people of all ages think and live better while upholding Judeo-Christian values,” according to its website.
- The critics. Historians and academics have attacked PragerU’s content, especially a series in which cartoon children meet Frederick Douglass, which scholars say relies on cherry-picking that leaves the material slanted and incomplete. The Southern Poverty Law Center goes further, saying PragerU Kids indoctrinates children with far-right messages and presents a skewed version of history.
The defenders. Its defenders reject the criticism. They say the group offers a free alternative to what they see as left-leaning dominance of schools and media, and that its videos feature professors from top universities.
What UWF Says Visitors Will See
UWF states in its press release: “Designed to bring the history of the American Revolution to life for visitors, this traveling exhibit features Revolutionary-era artifacts, interactive touchscreen activities and games, AI-generated portraits of historical figures and audiovisual displays that explore the people, ideas and events that shaped the United States.”
“It’s not every day that the American Revolution rolls onto campus. The hope in our office is that visitors leave intrigued by that question Americans have been grappling with ever since the founding: what does it take to govern ourselves? The Freedom Truck will give people of all ages in our community a fun place to start exploring it.” Zachary McCulley, program director, Academy of American Civic Republicanism
The Academy and the Florida Connection
The Academy. Established in 2025, the Academy of American Civic Republicanism focuses on teaching and researching civic republicanism in the classical tradition. Dr. Clifford Humphrey is Executive Director of the Academy.
Florida first: In July 2023, Florida became the first state to approve PragerU Kids. The Florida Department of Education said it had determined the material aligns to Florida’s revised civics and government standards. At that time, Humphrey served in the DeSantis administration as the executive vice chancellor of the Florida College System.
The National Tour
PragerU has released a schedule of 23 stops. Only two universities are listed: UWF and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
- 4 K-12 schools
- 4 fairs and festivals
- 6 museums and historic sites
- A library, church, Peterbilt offices and a gymnastics studio