NAACP issues travel advisory alleging, Florida 'hostile to African Americans'

Posted 16 days ago

From ABCNEWS.GO.COM

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP attends the PGA Works Beyond The Green at Union League, April 30, 2022, in Philadelphia.

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP attends the PGA Works Beyond The Green at Union League, April 30, 2022, in Philadelphia.

The national NAACP Board of Directors has issued a formal advisory against traveling to Florida, alleging the state has become "hostile toward African Americans" under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The move by the NAACP board calling on travelers nationwide to forgo visiting Florida comes as AAA Travel estimates 42.3 million Americans plan to hit the road this coming Memorial Day weekend.

The board voted unanimously to issue the travel advisory, saying the decision "comes in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis' aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools."

"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," the advisory states.

Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president and CEO, accused DeSantis and other state leaders of a "dereliction of duty" and called the trend of failing to teach an "accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face" a disservice to Florida students.

"Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon," Johnson said in a statement. "He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We're not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation."

The travel advisory was initially proposed in March by the NAACP's Florida State Conference. At the time, DeSantis called the proposal "a pure stunt."

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