August 29th 2023.
Florida's Black community is fed up with Governor Ron DeSantis. Following the horrific shooting at a Jacksonville Dollar General, many African Americans living in the state are speaking out on how DeSantis' policies have enabled racism to flourish, according to NBC News.
DeSantis made an unexpected appearance at a prayer vigil on August 27th in the Grand Park neighborhood, and the crowd did not welcome him kindly. Jacksonville City Councilwoman Ju'Coby Pittman had to step in to quiet the boos, but she made it clear during a CNN interview that she did it to keep the focus on the families of the victims, not on the governor.
"That vigil was not about the governor," Pittman said. "My concern was about the families. It was not a political ploy for me and my community; it was focusing on the families that were there and the hatred that came to their community."
During his speech, DeSantis referred to the shooter as a "scumbag," but local pastor Jeffrey Rumlin corrected him. "At the end of the day, respectfully, governor, he was not a scumbag," Rumlin said. "He was a racist." The crowd made it known how they felt about him; one person yelled "You're not welcome here," while another said "Your policies caused this," according to NPR.
DeSantis has been behind a number of discriminatory policies against African Americans in the state, like scrapping DEI initiatives, downplaying African American history courses, and redrawing maps that removed the only Black-performing congressional seat in northern Florida, including Jacksonville. These policies caused the NAACP to issue a travel ban in May 2023.
State legislators like Senator Shevrin Jones, a Black Democrat from Miami, believe DeSantis' policies are the root of racist events like the Jacksonville shooting. "How much can we allow the governor to keep his foot on our neck and not say anything?" Jones said. "This is the result of that stuff. It's not only the result, but it gives individuals who committed this act a hall pass to make it seem like it's OK."
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