It’s not the first time Florida is under fire from advocacy groups this year.
The Sunshine State continues to see travel warnings issued against it. In the last week, the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have warned against travel to Florida. This follows multiple advisories issued last month.
The NAACP said in a statement on Sunday that Governor Ron DeSantis is attempting to erase Black history. “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. 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 communities of color.”
In April, the NAACP’s Florida State Conference voted to issue a travel advisory.
Leon Russell, Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, said that they would not allow rights and history to be held hostage for political reasons and appealed to Floridians to join the fight to protect their rights.
This comes days after LULAC denounced an anti-immigration law that goes into effect on July 1, 2023. LULAC is the largest Latino civil rights association in the country, and they’re warning Latinos to be cautious while traveling in Florida.
LULAC’s president, Domingo Garcia, said, “We do not doubt that if Abuelita or Tia is with us and we are profiled, DeSantis’ enforcement regulations will treat us like criminals, transporting a dangerous person who only wanted to visit family or enjoy Disneyworld.”
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In April, the LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Florida and the Florida Immigration Coalition also highlighted that traveling to the state may be risky for minorities and advised people to reconsider.
Political and Cultural War
After signing a series of controversial bills in the state, Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to throw his hat into the 2024 presidential ring as early as this week.
Earlier this month, DeSantis signed SB-1718, which requires hospitals and emergency departments that accept Medicaid to gather the immigration status of patients; criminalizes the transportation of undocumented immigrants into Florida, resulting in a maximum 15-year prison sentence; and mandates the use of E-verify for businesses with over 25 employees and issues fines to those employing undocumented immigrants; along with other measures. This bill goes into effect in July.
The state has an estimated 800,000 undocumented immigrants, and news outlets have reported that the fear of persecution is motivating many to move out of the state.
What’s also worrying groups representing people of color is that the governor has also taken steps to forbid race discussions in schools, colleges, and workplaces. The Stop Woke Act prohibits schools from teaching critical race theory (the idea that racism is inherent in U.S. institutions), but the law remains temporarily blocked.
In its travel warning, the NAACP says that Florida is erasing Black history and restricting diversity and inclusion programs in schools. Derrick Johnson, the NAACP’s president and CEO, said in the statement, “Let me be clear–failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all.”
DeSantis has also signed a bill to block gender-reaffirming treatments and banned schools from teaching kids about gender identity through eighth grade. Currently, children can’t receive gender-affirming care and could be removed from their homes if they do.
Floridians are also now allowed to carry a firearm without a permit, and they won’t need to pass a background check starting in July. DeSantis also recently banned abortion after six weeks, excluding cases of rape, incest, or life-saving treatment for mothers.
The governor is also carrying on a long-running feud with Disney, which began when the company disagreed with DeSantis’ Don’t Say Gay bill. Disney sued the governor in April; the governor responded with a countersuit. Last week, Disney, which is the largest private employer in Florida, decided to nix a $1 billion project in the state.
Florida is a popular destination for tourists. In 2022, more than 137.6 million people visited the state. Around 50 million people come to experience the Happiest Place on Earth. The impact of these controversies and warnings isn’t known yet.
You don't have a clue what you're writing about. Just another hateful Biden bot
Good to realize that travel advisories have become political opinion posts vs health or safety advisories. Clearly, few people are paying attention to this one.
We are no longer fans of Florida and your miserable governor so we're even.
This is the most ridiculous article I've ever read , Florida s fabulous and has a large black community . Half of the employees at Disney are black and half of the people who visit Disney is Black . Governor DeSantis is the BEST GOVERNOR in our country ! We The People Love Florida !
Besides the Gov is of FL going better at Bashing Florida than anyone on the planet.