NAACP tells Black athletes to 'reconsider' attending Florida public colleges amid DEI pushback
The NAACP is asking Black student-athletes attending public colleges in Florida to "reconsider" their attendance as the state is pushing back against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
The NAACP is asking Black student-athletes attending public colleges in Florida to “reconsider” their attendance as the state is pushing back against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
The letter was sent to current and prospective Black student-athletes on March 11, according to a press release by the organization.
”The letter comes following recent news that the University of Florida had dismantled its DEI department at the direction of the DeSantis administration’s Stop WOKE Act. The bill, which was passed last year, prohibits the use of state funds for any diversity, equity, and inclusion programs,” the organization wrote.
As Campus Reform reported, the University of Florida fired all of its DEI office employees on March 1 and eliminated the department.
[RELATED: University of Florida fires all DEI employees, eliminates department]
”To comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments,” the University of Florida wrote in a memo to staff.
”To all current and prospective college student-athletes - the NAACP urges you to reconsider any potential decision to attend, and compete at a predominantly white institution in the state of Florida,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson wrote in the letter. “This is not about politics. It’s about the protection of our community, the progression of our culture, and most of all, it’s about your education, and your future.”
”Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made no effort to conceal his administration’s devaluation of Black America,” he added.
[RELATED: FIU student body prez says defending DEI is top priority]
A spokeswoman for DeSantis pointed NBC News to a March 1 post on X, where the Florida governor wrote “DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit.”
