Florida ‘Openly Hostile’ Toward People of Color & LGBTQ+ Community, Warns Leading US Civil Rights Organization
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America’s leading civil rights organization, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has issued a warning stating that Florida is a dangerous place for people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. The advisory comes days after Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill banning state schools and universities from investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Image credit: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
The travel advisory is in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis' “aggressive attempts” to erase Black history and to restrict DEI programs in Florida schools”, highlighted NAACP. “Please be advised that Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the formal travel notice reads. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the State of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of and the challenges faced by African-Americans and other minorities.”
The NAACP’s Florida advisory aims to make Black and LGBTQ people aware that the state “has engaged in an all-out attack” on them and suggests that they think of it as a hostile location. It highlights a series of laws signed by DeSantis, of which the anti-DEI legislation is the most recent. "Once again, hate-inspired state leaders have chosen to put politics over people. Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have engaged in a blatant war against principles of diversity and inclusion and rejected our shared identities to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority," said Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Leon Russell. "We will not allow our rights and history to be held hostage for political grandstanding. The NAACP proudly fights against the malicious attacks in Florida, against Black Americans. I encourage my fellow Floridians to join in this fight to protect ourselves and our democracy."
“We are advising African Americans and others that if you travel to Florida, beware that your life is not valued, that we have a political landscape that could cause harm as we prepare for the 2024 elections to right-size the political landscape in the state of Florida,” added NAACP president Derrick Johnson on CNN yesterday (May 22).
Beyond raising awareness, the NAACP advisory seeks to spark action: “If you do decide to go to the State of Florida, please advocate for legislation that supports diversity in all aspects of education. The advisory also asks people to advocate for the right to assemble, protest, and vote.”
NAACP also wants the residents of Florida to join them in their “advocacy efforts to defeat the regressive policies of this Governor and this state legislature. Our greatest asset is the voice of the millions who speak up every day to protect our democracy and our civil rights.”
In a public statement, De Santis’ office has responded to NAACP’s call for tourists to boycott Florida, as “nothing more than a stunt.”
This isn’t the first time the NAACP has put out a travel advisory. In 2017, it warned against traveling to Missouri after that state passed a bill making it harder to identify discrimination.
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