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RACISM + POLITICS
Black Americans Are Giving DeSantis The Side Eye for Good Reason
An essay about the role of white supremacy in government
Ron DeSantis, a self-proclaimed champion of the anti-woke brigade, decided to show his face in Jacksonville, Florida, to speak with a community in mourning. Days earlier, a self-proclaimed white supremacist shot and killed three Black people there, a tragedy that sparked a national conversation about the danger of endorsing racist beliefs and stalled gun control legislation. When he approached the microphone, Black people booed him. One told the Florida governor, "You're not welcome here." Another shouted, "DeSantis has loosened the state's gun laws and curbed efforts to teach Black history in public schools," asserting that his rhetoric contributed to the violence that shellshocked the Jacksonville community. Given his anti-Black policy stances, DeSantis was the last person they wanted to see after such a tragedy. While some have criticized their decision to confront the governor this way, the Black community has every right to give Ron DeSantis the side-eye.
The irony isn't lost on us that DeSantis claimed, "We are not going to let people be targeted based on their race," even though, as a leader in the Republican party, he's done just that. Time and time…
