A coalition of Florida civil rights organizations launched a petition and are investing six figures in a digital campaign calling on some of the state’s largest corporations that stood against racial injustice last year, to now stand to defend the rights of Black and Brown communities in the state. The Florida legislature is considering bills to criminalize peaceful protestors (House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 484) and to make it harder to vote (Senate Bill 90 and House Bill 7041).
“In the aftermath of the brutal killing of George Floyd, companies like Coca-Cola and Burger King shared #BlackOutTuesday posts, vowing to ‘do more’,” said Nailah Summers, interim Co-Director for the Dream Defenders, part of the Florida for All coalition of organizations. “With the Florida legislature and Governor DeSantis looking to silence Black Floridians’ freedom of speech and suppress our right to vote, now is the time for them to put their money where their mouth is.”
“With the Florida legislature and Governor DeSantis looking to silence Black Floridians’ freedom of speech and suppress our right to vote, now is the time for them to put their money where their mouth is.”
Nailah Summers, Dream Defenders
DeSantis censorship bill (HB1), opposed by prosecutors, sheriffs and Floridians of all political ideologies, protects violent actors who injure or kill peaceful protestors from civil liability, and proposes to jail protestors for 15 years without a bail. It also keeps municipalities in Florida from making sovereign decisions about their local police budgets. The voter suppression bills (SB 90 & HB7041), adds new restrictions to drop boxes, makes it harder to vote by mail, and forbids Floridians from giving water to voters waiting in line for hours under the harsh Florida weather. In full, we have seen countless policy proposals this legislative session targeting the rights of Black Floridians, essential workers, and our most vulnerable community members.
“Since the pandemic ensued, Floridians have endured a failed unemployment system and hyper-partisan politics that put public health last. We need the resources and leadership to get to the other side of the pandemic, not discriminatory and costly policies that go against our nation’s foundational principles. We need businesses in Florida to put their money where their mouth is, and leverage their power in the legislative process to meaningfully condemn these anti-Black, anti-American bills,” said Summers.
Floridians can sign the petition at bit.ly/morethanablacksquare asking several corporations in Florida to take a stance.
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