Florida Is Racist! Stay Away!

Imagine what it is like living as a black American in Florida—the sheer horror of it. For example, you can use vouchers from the state to put your child in the school of your choice. Rather than being locked into putting your child in a failing public school, you can choose what environment you want your child to be in for seven hours a day. Scary, I know. But it gets worse.

Florida has a booming economy. It’s one of the eight states in the United States that does not collect any income taxes, while some, like California, charge as much as 13 percent. You would see more of your monthly paycheck because Florida does not charge state income taxes. Also, if you were a black business owner during the pandemic, you were only asked to shut down for a couple of months while most of the country stayed in lockdown for over a year.

Then there’s the incredible warm weather year-round, the beautiful beaches to visit, reasonable home prices, and access to the best airport in the nation. That’s right, Tampa International Airport was named the number 1 airport in the country.

It’s all almost too much to bear.

NAACP Travel Advisory

Obviously, I’m being sarcastic. I’m a black American living in Florida. More of a refugee who left California during the peak of the lockdowns to escape to what many call “the land of the free.” So you can guess how surprised I was to see that the NAACP issued a travel advisory about traveling to Florida. The May 20, 2023, advisory warns black Americans:

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.

This parody-worthy “travel advisory” was done in part as a response to Florida Gov. Ron Desantis (R) banning an AP African American Studies course from being taught at public high schools in Florida. This course contains lessons on intersectionality and activism, black queer studies, postracial racism and colorblindess, incarcerations and abolition, movements for black lives, and the reparations movement. Florida didn’t ban an AP history course. They banned indoctrination masquerading as education. While the course may contain some valuable lessons about black history, it is also loaded with leftist narratives that should not be taught in a politically neutral public classroom.

What’s ridiculous about this ban is that black Americans don’t have any increased statistical danger if they travel to Florida. As opposed to traveling to, say, Chicago, which currently has a homicide rate for young black men that is currently 50 times the national rate. If the NAACP cared about black lives more than their political agendas, they would presumably warn black Americans to stay away from Chicago because they are much more likely to die there—not be deprived of the wonders of black queer studies—actually, die. But no, forcing17-year-olds to learn about postracial racism (whatever nonsense that is) is more important, according to the NAACP.

Chairman of Hypocrisy

But I haven’t even mentioned the best part yet. To add to the ridiculousness of it all, the current Chairman of the NAACP board of directors lives in . . . Florida. Tampa, to be exact. While enjoying the nice weather, zero taxes, and No. 1 airport, he warns other black Americans against the “dangers” of Florida. You can’t make this stuff up.

This faux travel advisory is just a dishonest tactic to win over the American people on the issue of Critical Race Theory, which is simply a repackaging of Marxism with a color wash instead of a class wash. The NAACP wants to highlight Florida as a dangerous place for black America because teenagers aren’t learning about the abolish the police movement or how to count their oppressions.

As a Black American living in Florida, I can attest that it is one of the best places for Black Americans to live and a world-famous vacation spot. We, as a people, have always strived for freedom and autonomy in a land that, historically, didn’t give black Americans that liberty. Of course, learning our history—the good, the bad, and the ugly—is essential, but these divisive theories steeped in half-truths and mixed with political narratives only cause a new type of slavery: enslavement of the mind. So much so that the NAACP is warning black Americans to stay away from Florida when it could be one of the best states for them.

It’s undoubtedly safer to live in Chicago.