By Pat Bryant*
Over 100 student and a few workers of Florida’s colleges and universities vowed to continue to resist Bill 999, now certain the be Florida law.
The bill would end diversity and inclusion programs, special courses in ethnic studies, change tenue professor rules, give the Board of Governors power over what is taught and credentials of teaching staff, and bring an end to ethnic groups like the NAACP and fraternities. The speeches, attended by sparce media, went on for two hours under cloudy skies. Most of these students were white and women, with about half Black, nearly all under 25. Some declared the Board of Governors not representative, 14 of the 17 members, were appointed by Governor DeSantis, one teacher and one Black, a financier/investor. Critical of dystopian changes of DeSantis, the group claimed the Board of Governors, which oversees public universities not representative of Florida’s populace and called for them to resign, which will not occur. DeSantis enjoys a veto proof legislature that will pass anything he suggests.
Several speakers called on higher voting participation. One other group, the Florida Conference of Branches of the NAACP voter unanimously for its national organization to issue a travel advisory to Blacks not to meet in Florida, and not to vacation here and spend those tourist dollars elsewhere.
The Board of Governors meeting would follow the rally, later in the day, with questionable student or community input. Some students hinted, that non-violent civil disobedience my get deployed against DeSantis and the Board of Governors in the future.
Anya Silva, a University of South Florida Democratic Society (SDS) member since 2018, from an immigrant family, began to resist Trump’s anti-immigrant policies in 2018. When they were victorious, the group focused on the anti-democratic policies of Ron DeSantis. The current SDS campaign is to increase Black enrollment in the Tampa Black student body , in a town where Blacks number almost a quarter of the population but are 9 percent of the USF student body. Student protested in March which ended with violent police arrests of four students. Several students attempted to meet with University of South Florida President. Felony indictments are pending.
24-year Austin Rolette, a University of North Florida 2022 graduate says the current University of North Florida president is trying to dissolve the Black Student Union, dissolve diversity and inclusion programs. ‘I am here to protest, encourage people to vote, and other activities to get freedom,” he said.
Maisy Davis, 21-year-old student was critical of the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs saying they ”helped recruit Blacks to the universities but they are critical in supporting Black students once they are enrolled.”
Speeches were peppered with anti-DeSantis chants: “When students rights are under attack, what do we do?” yelled the leader. The response: “stand up fight back.” Another was “Justice for the Tampa 4, Drop the charges.” Another chant was “From FSU to Tampa Bay, Protest is here to stay.”
There were more than 20 groups represented, even one of Black medical students called Black Men in Medicine.
*Pat Bryant is a southern based journalist.
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