Black student-athletes in Florida were urged by the NAACP to boycott state colleges due to the state’s extreme measures toward diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI).
Leader of the NAACP Derrick Johnson recently stated that the organization had sent a letter to Black NCAA hopefuls advising them not to play for Florida’s “PWI” public institutions and universities. The term PWI is commonly used to describe “predominantly White institution.”
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Founded in the United States in 1909, the NAACP is a civil rights organization.
“Florida’s rampant anti-Black policies are a direct threat to the advancement of our young people and their ability to compete in a global economy,” Johnson stated.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount in ensuring equitable and effective educational outcomes. The value Black and other college athletes bring to large universities is unmatched. If these institutions are unable to invest in those athletes completely, it’s time they take their talents elsewhere. The NAACP will remain unwavering in our efforts to hold Governor Ron DeSantis, and all oppressive elected officials accountable for their attempts to unravel our democracy.”
According to the letter from the NAACP, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “has made no effort to conceal his administration’s devaluation of Black America.”
According to their letter, “This imbalance of power and profit demands a response, particularly because these institutions reap considerable financial benefits from the very individuals they fail to stand by in matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
It continues, “… it’s up to each individual — and to the broader community — to hold these institutions accountable.”
Ten days have passed since the University of Florida sacked every employee holding administrative and DEI jobs. DeSantis, who has made stopping DEI a key component of his plans to reform the state’s educational system, wrote on X formerly known as Twitter, “Florida is where DEI goes to die.”
“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,” DeSantis noted.
The rule restricting public financing for DEI was enacted by the Florida Board of Governors in January, characterizing them as “any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.”
DEI campus opponents, such as DeSantis, have claimed that the initiatives amount to leftist discrimination, while supporters claim they assist address growing diversity among student communities and combat systematic injustices.
