Black Academic Fraternity Abandons Florida Over DeSantis’ Policies for Convention

The oldest Black academic fraternity in America, Alpha Phi Alpha, has declared that it will move its planned 2025 convention from Florida to a yet-to-be-determined location, as a protest against Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration’s policies that it perceives to be “detrimental, racist, and unsympathetic” towards African Americans.

The fraternity revealed earlier this week that it would be relocating the event, which usually attracts between 4,000 and 6,000 participants and generates an estimated economic contribution of $4.6 million.

The move follows a travel advisory warning issued for Florida by the NAACP and other civil rights groups earlier this year. The advisory stated that newly enacted laws and policies in the state are overtly antagonistic towards African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ community members.

The fraternity’s general president, Willis Lonzer, stated on Wednesday that the relocation was partly prompted by Florida’s new educational standards, which mandate that teachers inform middle school students that slaves acquired skills that could be utilized for their personal advantage.

Lonzer added, “Despite our convention’s relocation from Florida, Alpha Phi Alpha will persist in supporting the robust advocacy of Alpha Brothers and other activists combating the ongoing attack on our communities in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis.”

On Saturday, the governor’s office and his press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, received an email inquiring about the fraternity’s decision.

Governor DeSantis, who is campaigning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has faced intense scrutiny over the state’s new education standards. Criticism from U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican senator and a rival for the nomination, was among the critiques launched against the Florida governor on Friday.

Responding to the backlash, DeSantis defended himself on Friday, declaring that he was “protecting” Florida from “untruths and falsehoods”, promising to continue “speaking the truth.”

In May, the NAACP, in alliance with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights group, and Equality Florida, a group advocating for gay rights, issued travel advisories for Florida. These groups pointed out recent laws that disallowed state colleges from offering programs on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and critical race theory, as well as the Stop WOKE Act that curbs race-based discussions and analyses in schools and companies.

These groups also condemned laws which, according to them, worsen the lives of immigrants in Florida and suppress discussions on LGBTQ+ issues in schools.

According to local media, at least nine other organizations or associations have also cancelled plans to hold conventions in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, two of Florida’s most frequented convention cities, citing the state’s political climate.

Florida, one of the most visited states in the U.S. and heavily reliant on the tourism industry, welcomed over 137.5 million tourists last year, signaling a return to pre-pandemic levels as per Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency. Tourism provides employment to approximately 1.6 million people on a full-time and part-time basis, with visitors having spent nearly $98.8 billion in 2019, the latest year for which data is available.

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP.

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• Oldest historically Black collegiate fraternity in the U.S.
• NAACP issues travel advisory for Florida
• Florida’s new education standards and policies
• Governor DeSantis responds to criticism
• Other organizations cancel conventions in Florida
• Florida’s tourism statistics