By Niko Mann
The mother who had Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem banned in a Florida school reportedly has ties to the Proud Boys. Daily Salinas reportedly posted anti-Semitic memes on social media and was in attendance at Proud Boys rallies.
Salinas protested five books from the library at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes, Florida. including Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” as well as “The ABCs of Black History,” “Love to Langston,” “Countries in the News Cuba” and “Cuban Kids.” Salinas claimed in March that “Love to Langston” includes references to critical race theory and “indirect hate messages.”
The parent of two students at school was the only parent to complain about the books, including the poem recited by Gorman at President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. Salinas told the Miami Herald that school libraries are meant “to support the curriculum of the school and I don’t see how these books support the curriculum.”
On May 23, the Miami Against Fascism shared a picture on Twitter of Salinas at a Proud Boys rally. She is standing next to the chairman of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Salinas is wearing a T-shirt that read “Freedom to choose.” The Florida mom was also seen at another Proud Boys event with Tarrio and referred to the group as “Los mejores,” which translates to “The best.” She also called the racist group “My Proud boys.”
Salinas was also removed from a Miami-Dade school board meeting in July 2022 after the Moms For Liberty disrupted the meeting over two textbooks for sex education. The books had been approved by the board, but the decision was later reversed due to the conservative group’s protest, leaving the school district with no sex education textbooks.
The Proud Boy supporter also posted anti-Semitc posts on Facebook, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Salinas reportedly shared the anti-Semitic text “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” a fake Jewish plan for world domination.
Salinas apologized for promoting the anti-Semitic posts and claimed she loved the Jewish community.
“I want to apologize to the Jewish community,” she said. “I’m not what the post says. I love the Jewish community.”
Salinas claimed that she is not a member of Moms For Liberty or the Proud Boys and was only attending some of the same events. She also admitted that she hasn’t even read the poem by Gorman that she wanted to be banned from her children’s school and blamed English not being her first language for her protests.
“They have to read for me because I’m not an expert,” she said. “I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person. I’m a mom involved in my children’s education.”
Gorman’s poem was not banned, but the school did restrict who could read the material, claiming it was “better suited for middle school students.”
