NAACP Puts Target On DeSantis’s Back

(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – Just days before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will announce his campaign for President of the United States, the NAACP has put out an advisory recommending tourists boycott Florida because of DeSantis’s policies and legislation.

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As the New York Post tells it, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a travel warning, advising people against visiting Florida as a form of protest against Governor Ron DeSantis’s policies.

The civil rights organization believes that these policies are harmful to African Americans. This announcement comes just before DeSantis is expected to declare his run for the presidency.

In a striking statement released on Saturday, the NAACP accuses the Governor and Florida of actively silencing African American voices and making them feel unwelcome. The organization declares that because of ongoing, obvious, persistent, and institutionalized assaults on democracy and civil rights, they must issue a travel advisory. This is specifically for African Americans and other people of color who might face hostility in Florida.

The organization mentions some of DeSantis’s controversial policies in its statement. One such policy includes a law approved by the Governor that prohibits colleges from using public money to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

DeSantis also endorsed the Stop WOKE Act. This act limits how schools can discuss race during obligatory training or instruction. Furthermore, he opposed an Advanced Placement African American Studies course in public schools, stating that it didn’t offer any “educational value.”

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, criticized the state’s education approach. “Not teaching an accurate account of the struggles and injustices that Black Americans have endured and still face today, does a disservice to students and neglects our duty to them,” Johnson said. He continued, “Under Governor Desantis’s leadership, Florida has become unfriendly towards Black Americans and fundamentally contradicts the democratic ideals our nation was built upon.”

Johnson encourages people to support the NAACP’s mission for the nation’s integrity. The organization points out that black students comprise 23% of Florida’s public school population.

The NAACP’s warning emphasizes, “Before visiting Florida, it’s important to recognize that Florida appears to undermine and marginalize the contributions and challenges of African Americans and other people of color.”

DeSantis also approved the contentious “Parental Rights in Education” law. This law prevents teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with kindergarten through third-grade students. Critics refer to this law as “Don’t Say Gay.”

The Governor argues that conversations about sex and gender identity are not suitable for young students and has defended his law against explicit or separate diversity instruction.

The NAACP’s criticisms of DeSantis could be seen as portraying him as racially insensitive. However, this advisory against traveling to Florida could also incite conservative Republicans to rally behind DeSantis in his potential competition against former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary.

DeSantis’s representative, Jeremy Redfern, dismissed the NAACP’s travel advisory as a “stunt.” Christina Pushaw, the Governor’s political assistant, also mocked the NAACP’s advisory on Twitter.

Florida, known as the Sunshine State, relies heavily on its tourism industry. According to Florida’s tourism agency, the state welcomed 137.6 million visitors last year. These visitors added $101.9 billion to the state’s economy and supported over 1.7 million jobs in 2021.

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