The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) board of directors has issued an advisory, citing Florida’s “aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in schools.”
This statement expressed that Florida appears to be unwelcoming to African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals, and the primary cause of this sentiment is Governor Ron DeSantis’ refusal to implement a collegiate-level African-American studies course into the state’s school systems. This course was revised by the College Board, which administers AP courses, and drew criticism from scholars of African-American studies.
Leon Russell, the chairman of the NAACP board of directors who is also a black resident of Tampa, Florida, has been living in the state for almost fifty years. He began working as the head of the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights in 1977 and retired in 2012. In response to this advisory, Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler offered to help Russell move out of the state. Ziegler tweeted, “True leadership is being willing to do what you ask others to do… time to step up and MOVE. If you think our state is so bad, the @FloridaGOP will help with moving costs.”