VOC Applauds Texas Legislature Passage of Key Legislation Commemorating Victims of Communism

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 30: Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The Texas State Legislature has voted to designate November 7 as “Victims of Communism Memorial Day” in remembrance of and honoring those who have died and suffered under communist regimes.

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC)’s President and CEO, Ambassador Andrew Bremberg, along with the VOC Board of Trustees, praised the Texas Legislature for its passage of this important landmark legislation commemorating the victims of communism.

“The Texas State Legislature designation of VOC Memorial Day is a great success. We look forward to having more states recognize this important day,” said Ambassador Bremberg.

This month in passing H.B. 1057, led in the House by Representative Tom Oliverson and in the Senate by Senator Brandon Creighton, Texas became the fourth state to officially recognize November 7 as “Victims of Communism Memorial Day” to bear witness to those who have died and suffered under communist regimes. Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill any day.

To date, Alabama, Utah, Virginia, and now Texas have passed resolutions to officially recognize November 7 as “Victims of Communism Memorial Day.” Nine others — Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina — are moving to do the same.

VOC Memorial Day is designed to raise awareness and educate the American people — and the world — about the real threats to freedom we face now, and the crimes perpetrated by communist regimes in the 20th century and that continue today in countries such as China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam. November 7 was chosen as Victims of Communism Memorial Day to mark the day in 1917 when the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, which led to the creation of the world’s first communist government. On November 7, we remember those who have suffered and died at the hands of communist regimes in the past, and renew our commitment to stand up for those who are fighting for freedom today.

Representative Tom Oliverson, remarked that “more than 100 million innocent people have been killed by communist regimes since the creation of the first communist regime on November 7th, 1917 in Russia. This is the greatest loss of human life of any event in human history, and we must not forget the horrors of communism. Just as the Holocaust memorials remind us to never again indulge the brutality of fascism, so too, this memorial serves as a sobering reminder of the empty promises of communists everywhere, and the brutal legacy of human suffering they leave.”

Texas Representative Tom Oliverson talks about why he believes it’s crucial that Texans commemorate victims of communism.

VOC Advisory Council member and Texas resident Dr. Elida Dakoli gave powerful testimony before the Texas House of Representatives in recounting her family’s tragic experiences under Albania’s communist regime.

“When [my grandfather] refused to turn his wealth over to the communist party, he was jailed, his homes were destroyed, and my grandmother and her four young children ages 1-12—including my father—were thrown in the street with nothing. Her brother bravely took my grandmother and the children in, but my grandfather was killed in jail. We still do not know where his grave is. The persecution of my family members went on for four generations.” 

VOC exists to remind a forgetful world of the evils of communism, the over 100 million victims — most recently in Hong Kong — and to alert people of the free world to the growing threats of communist regimes.

Thanks to VOC’s committed friends and supporters encouraging the establishment of November 7 as the annual day of observance for Victims of Communism Memorial Day, we urge more states to follow the Texas Legislature’s example.

For more information about state recognition of VOC Memorial Day, visit our website. If you are interested in supporting a similar initiative in your state, please contact your state legislators.