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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 20: Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. participates in the 2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. March & Rally at Peachtree Street on January 20, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
“Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has an unmatched legacy of social justice, advocacy, and leadership for the Black community,” he said. “In this environment of manufactured division and attacks on the Black community, Alpha Phi Alpha refuses to direct a projected $4.6 million convention economic impact to a place hostile to the communities we serve. Although we are moving our convention from Florida, Alpha Phi Alpha will continue to support the strong advocacy of Alpha Brothers and other advocates fighting against the continued assault on our communities in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis.” The event’s relocation will be a significant financial blow to the state’s economy as the convention regularly generates an estimated $4 million in revenue.
This decision comes after Florida released its new K-12 African American Social Studies curriculum that now requires instructors for grades six through eight to highlight how slaves “developed skills” that could be used for their “personal benefit.” The statement drew backlash from civil rights organizations such as the NAACP and national leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who called it an attempt to “gaslight” the Black community. In May, the NAACP issued a travel advisory notice warning various demographics against visiting the Sunshine State.
Extremists are pushing forward revisionist history. They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it. pic.twitter.com/ipCXuGjWTw
Alpha Phi Alpha has joined the coalition of organizations protesting Florida’s onslaught of hostile policies as the state’s lawmakers continue to undermine the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and Black citizens. However, the fraternity will continue its community efforts in Dallas this year, where members will participate in a protest march outside City Hall alongside other Divine Nine chapters.
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Source: Black Enterprise
