FL Students Hold Statewide Walkout To Protest Governor's 'Attack' On Black History

FLORIDA — College students across Florida held a statewide walkout Thursday to protest Gov. Ron DeSantis' education-related policies they say target Black history and LGBTQ+ people.

Organized by groups including Stand for Freedom and Dream Defenders, the walkout happened at noon Thursday at campuses across the state, including the University of South Florida, the University of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of North Florida.

During the walkout, students and faculty demanded an end to what organizers say is "the DeSantis administration's attacks on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC students, faculty and staff," according to a USA Today report.

"We want to take these classes and for the state to come in and say, 'Well, we might not want to allow you to have that' … At what point are college students going to be considered adults by the state of Florida?" Jonathon Chavez, president of College Democrats at USF, told ABC News.

"We want to make our own decisions and our education, how we want to better ourselves," he continued. "We think it's quite silly that the state would try to restrict that."

The walkout was in response to recent efforts by the DeSantis administration targeting diversity, inclusion and people of color.

Related:

• Florida Eyes' Classical, Christian' Test As SAT Alternative: Report
  
• AP African American Studies Course Rejected By DeSantis Administration
• 3 Students, Ben Crump To Sue DeSantis For African American Studies Ban
• FL Rejects 54 Math Books And Attempts To 'Indoctrinate' Students: FDOE
• Bible Removal From Public Schools Sought By South FL Activist

Last month, DeSantis announced a plan to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts made in previous years across Florida campuses. The goal, according to the announcement, was to push back against "the tactics of liberal elites who suppress free thought in the name of identity politics and indoctrination."

The move followed a 2022 bill to ban critical race theory in schools by 2022.

Last month, the DeSantis administration also banned a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course from Florida schools.

In a Jan. 12 letter to the College Board, the Florida Department of Education's Office of Articulation claimed that the course violated state law and questioned its historical accuracy, CNN reported. State officials wrote in the letter that the course is "inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value."

They told the College Board that if the organization was "willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion."

The College Board slammed the state for its comments about the class, calling it "slander."

"There is always debate about the content of a new AP course. That is good and healthy; these courses matter," the College Board said in a statement released Saturday. "But the dialogue surrounding AP African American Studies has moved from healthy debate to misinformation."

In November 2022, the state banned gender-affirming medications and surgery after an unprecedented vote by the state's medical board. The ban forbids doctors to prescribe puberty blockers and hormones or perform surgeries until transgender patients are 18, according to The New York Times.

Students and parents gathered near the steps of Ruby Diamond Auditorium at Florida State University, the FSView reported. Students held signs declaring "Black Lives Matter," "Vote Responsibly" and "DeSantis is targeting trans students and FSU is letting him.”

A mother held up a sign stating “proud parent of a trans child."

Videos from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville showed protesters chanting, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Ron DeSantis go away.”

Nailah Summers, the co-executive director of the Dream Defenders, told ABC News that DeSantis has been on a "rampage."

"He’s banning books and flags in classrooms everywhere. He’s making sure our history isn’t getting taught. He’s getting rid of teachers, professors and faculty that look like us and support us,” she said. "He’s made it harder to protest, harder to vote, and harder to live in Florida.”

A spokesperson for DeSantis did not return Patch's request for comment.

Paul Ortiz, a University of Florida history professor, is among educators who will lead a teach-in Thursday at the request of Dream Defenders.

"As a historian, I'm in heaven right now," he told The Tampa Bay Times. "When students are telling me they're protesting for the right to learn more, this is the moment I've waited for my whole life."

The walkouts are also backed by local and federal elected officials, including Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani and Congressman Maxwell Frost.

"Ron DeSantis has been relentless in his attacks on Florida's education system, creating hostile classroom environments that target Black, brown, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ students for simply existing," Frost said in an email to Teen Vogue. "We have no choice but to use our collective power to make sure DeSantis and his lapdogs at the Department of Education and the Board of Trustees know that they need to keep their hateful politics out of our schools."