NAACP Warns Black, LGBTQ People Not To Visit Florida

The NAACP wants you to stay out of Florida.

The Board of Directors issued a formal travel advisory Saturday, claiming Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has created a hostile environment for black and LGBTQ people.

"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 reads.

The statement comes in direct response to DeSantis' "aggressive attempts to erase black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.

"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," NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson said. "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 "soul of our nation" is a favorite mantra of President Joe Biden. Because that's what this is about — using fear and race-baiting to secure the black vote for Democrats in 2024.

Nearly 40 million tourists visited Florida in the first few months of 2023. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

On May 14, DeSantis signed a bill into law that bans the state's public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

"'DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination," DeSantis said.

Good luck keeping people out of Florida, NAACP

DeSantis has not publicly responded to the official advisory. But he dismissed the idea when the NAACP Florida chapter floated it in March.

"What a joke," he said at the time. "Yeah, we'll see, we'll see how effective that is."

And DeSantis has a point.

In 2022, about 319,000 people moved to Florida. That's the biggest population boost of any state during that time.

And tourism in the Sunshine State is thriving. In the first quarter of 2023, 37.9 million people visited the state. That's Florida's largest-ever volume of tourists in a single quarter.

The Governor compared the NAACP's advisory to people who traveled to Florida to escape pandemic restrictions elsewhere. Politicians warned Florida was unsafe, but then "they would end up being spotted on the beach somewhere vacationing."

Like the time AOC enjoyed a taste of freedom in DeSantis' scary, maskless COVID hellhole.

"This is a stunt to try to do that," DeSantis said. "If you want to waste your time on a stunt, that's fine. But I'm not wasting my time on your stunts."

But the NAACP is committing to the stunt — at least for now.

"The bullseye has been put on black people's back by this governor," said Leon Russel, chair of the NACCP Board of Directors.

But Florida Committeewoman Lavern Spicer had a simple response to the travel advisory.

"I'm Black and in Florida," Spicer tweeted. "We good."

Pure political theater by the NAACP.

See y'all on the beach.