The National Board of Directors of the NAACP has issued a formal travel advisory for Florida, warning black and LGBTQ people not to visit the state due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ guidelines.
“Florida is openly hostile to African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ people,” the civil rights group’s statement released Saturday night said.
“Before you travel to Florida, please remember that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of African Americans and other communities of color and the challenges they face,” it said.
The NAACP said the recommendation was “a direct response” to the Florida governor’s “aggressive attempts to erase black history and restrict diversity, equality and inclusion programs in Florida schools.”
DeSantis, who is expected to announce his presidential campaign later this week, previously responded to the proposal for an NAACP travel advisory for Florida by calling the idea “a joke.”
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson (left) criticized DeSantis (right) for its education laws as the civil rights group issued a travel warning from visiting Florida
The travel warning appears to be in response to several related measures that DeSantis recently signed into law.
Last Monday, DeSantis signed a bill into law that would ban the state’s public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
“DEI should better be viewed as a symbol of discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination,” DeSantis said at the signing of the bill on the New College of Florida campus
The Republican governor also supported a measure to block the Advanced Placement African American Studies course in public schools on the grounds that the course had “no educational value.”
DeSantis has championed a number of other measures that limit schools’ dealings with issues like race and gender, with the governor arguing that he is challenging inappropriate liberal ideologies in the classroom.
Its critics argue that the measures are gross violations of free speech and an attempt to prevent educators from teaching important issues.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement, “Let me be clear: Failure to teach an accurate account of the horrors and inequalities that black Americans have faced and continue to face does them a disservice students and a dereliction of duty to all.” ‘
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and is in direct conflict with the democratic ideals on which our union was founded,” he added.
“He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are ready to stand up and fight.” “We stand up and encourage our allies to join us in the fight for the soul of our nation,” Johnson said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs legislation Monday banning state funding for diversity, equality and inclusion programs at Florida public universities
“DEI should better be viewed as a symbol of discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination,” DeSantis said at the signing of the bill on the New College of Florida campus.
LGBTQ advocates protested DeSantis last year. DeSantis has advocated a number of measures to limit how schools deal with issues such as race and gender
DeSantis says he challenges the inappropriate liberal ideology in the classroom. His critics argue that the measures are gross violations of freedom of expression
DeSantis has yet to publicly respond to the travel advisory, but sharply criticized the idea when it was first floated in March, when the Florida branch of the NAACP first urged leaders to consider the measure.
“What a joke,” he said at the time, according to Florida Politics. “Yes, we’ll see, we’ll see how effective that is.”
The governor likened the proposal to people traveling to Florida when pandemic restrictions were in place elsewhere, where “they ended up being seen somewhere on the beach on vacation.”
“That’s a trick to try that.” It’s a pure stunt and fine. If you want to waste your time doing a stunt, that’s fine. But I don’t waste my time doing your stunts,” DeSantis added.
Tourism is a major industry in Florida, and last year the state welcomed 137.6 million visitors, the highest number in state history, according to data from Florida’s official tourism marketing company.
In 2021, Florida visitors contributed $101.9 billion to the Florida economy and supported over 1.7 million Florida jobs, the group said.
Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota is seen in a file photo. Tourism is a major industry in Florida and last year the state welcomed 137.6 million visitors
NCAA Chief Executive Leon Russell said in a statement that the travel warning was part of a “fight to protect ourselves and our democracy.”
“Once again, hateful leaders have chosen to prioritize politics over people,” Russell said.
“Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have waged a flagrant war on diversity and inclusion principles, rejecting our shared identity to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority,” he added.
“We will not allow our rights and our history to be held hostage to political self-expression.”
The travel advisory was originally proposed to the NAACP’s national board of directors by the Florida State Conference of the NAACP in March.
“What a travel warning is that it allows us the NAACP to warn other black people across the country not to come to Florida, not to send their children to Florida, and not to vacation in Florida if you’re black,” James Muwakkil, the Lee County NAACP branch president, told WINK-TV at the time.
“This governor put a bull’s eye on the blacks,” he added.
“So if we get permission, we will tell the rest of the world that we will not condone second-class citizenship,” Muwakkil said.