NAACP Issues Travel Advisory Against Florida
The NAACP has issued a travel advisory asking Black Americans not to visit the state of Florida, citing Governor Ron DeSantis' “sustained, relentless and systemic attack on democracy and civil rights.”
The NAACP is the latest of a number of organizations who have issued travel bans against Florida. Other organizations include the League of United Latin American Citizens and Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy group.
“Under its current Governor, the State of Florida has engaged in an all-out attack on Black Americans, accurate Black history, voting rights, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, women's reproductive rights, and free speech, while simultaneously embracing a culture of fear, bullying, and intimidation by public officials,” NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement.
“In his effort to rewrite American history to exclude the voices, contributions of African Americans and the challenges they overcame despite the systemic racism that African Americans have faced since first arriving in this country; including the Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act Florida HB 1, Stop Wrongs against Our Kids and Employees Act ("Stop W.O.K.E. Act") Florida HB 7, Constitutional Carry Act Florida House HB 543, Florida Senate Bill 266, and Florida Senate Bill 7066."
DeSantis' press secretary called the advisory "nothing more than a stunt. Florida is seeing record-breaking tourism," he said.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued their advisory May 17, citing anti-immigrant measures signed into law by DeSantis.
"LULAC exposes the extensive impact of Governor DeSantis' sweeping anti-immigrant, anti-Christian family rampage, harming the Florida economy and further marginalizing immigrant communities. Bill 1718 goes into effect July 1, 2023," organization president Domingo Garcia said in a statement.
Equality Florida issued its advisory after DeSantis signed the "Don't Say Gay" bill into law.
“Because of Ron DeSantis and his frenzied appeal to extremists, LGBTQ+ people in Florida are finding themselves in a state of emergency every single day. Since the day he took office, Governor DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate, and discrimination into public law for his own political gain,” the organization’s statement reads.
Read the full advisory from the NAACP below:
