This story was originally published by The 19th By Nadra Nittle, The 19th Advocates for the Black and LGBTQ+ communities are expressing outrage after the College Board on Wednesday released its official framework for an Advanced Placement course on African American Studies that makes subjects such as queer studies, intersectionality,…
New Advanced Placement African American Studies course is a watered down version of itself
By Suneal Kolluri, University of California, Riverside On February 1, 2023– the first day of Black History Month – the College Board released the framework for its new Advanced Placement African American Studies course. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has criticized the pilot version of the African American studies…
Florida Gov. DeSantis leads the GOP’s national charge against public education that includes lessons on race and sexual orientation
By Jonathan Feingold, Boston University Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ disdain for “woke ideology” is on full display. At a January 2023 inaugural event, the governor boasted that “Florida is where woke goes to die.” This is more than political bluster. In just the past month, DeSantis has stacked the board…
How the distortion of Martin Luther King Jr.‘s words enables more, not less, racial division within American society
By Hajar Yazdiha, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas is just the latest conservative lawmaker to misuse the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to judge a person on character and not race. In the protracted battle to elect Rep.…
With Val Demings’ and Cheri Beasley’s losses, there are still no Black women in the U.S. Senate
Originally published by The 19th By Candice Norwood, The 19th The Senate has had no Black women since Kamala Harris became the country’s first woman vice president nearly two years ago. This year, two candidates had a chance of changing that: Cheri Beasley of North Carolina and Val Demings of…
How Ron DeSantis Blew Up Black-Held Congressional Districts and May Have Broken Florida Law
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Originally published Oct. 11, 2022. By Joshua Kaplan, ProPublica ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was incensed. Late last year, the state’s…
White man pleads guilty to hate crime after Black man attacked outside of store in Florida
A White man pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime after a racially-motivated attack in Florida, federal authorities announced. According to a plea agreement, on Nov. 17, 52-year-old Robert Lashley traveled to a Family Dollar store in Citrus Springs, Florida, where the unidentified victim was shopping. Lashley followed the…
White woman sentenced to 4 years after 4 Black women killed in DUI crash
The sentencing of a White woman who was driving under the influence and crashed into a vehicle with 4 Black women inside, who were killed in the accident, has sparked outrage. Heather Finley was sentenced to four years in prison after striking a plea deal with prosecutors. The four Black…
Black historian says he and group threatened by man in pick up truck, called n-word in Florida
A renowned Black historian reportedly said he was and a group of people were targeted by a White man who shouted racial slurs and drove his truck toward the group earlier this week in Rosewood, Florida. Dr. Marvin Dunn, professor emeritus in psychology at Florida International University, said he and…
Florida man found guilty of federal hate crime after attacking Black driver, giving Nazi salute in road rage incident
A Florida man was convicted today of a federal hate crime for attacking a Black man and his family during a road rage incident. According to court documents, a jury in Tampa convicted Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, of interfering with a motorist’s right to use the street for racially-motivated reason.…
Deputy in Florida resigns after aggressive traffic stop, handcuffing pregnant Black woman
A deputy in Florida has reportedly resigned after handcuffing a pregnant Black woman during a traffic stop earlier this month that was caught on video. Ebony Washington said she was driving home from Gainesville with her three children in the vehicle around midnight when the family was pulled over, reported…
Judge blocks “Stop WOKE Act” peddled by Florida Gov. DeSantis
A judge in Florida declared today that a state law dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act” restricts race-based discussions in business and education was unconstitutional. In a 44-page ruling, Tallahassee U.S. District Chief Judge Mark Walker said the so-called “Stop WOKE Act” violates the First Amendment and vague in language. He…
Florida man arrested weeks after video showed him pulling rifle on Black landscaper
A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly pointed an assault rifle at a Black landscaper in an incident caught on camera last month. In a Facebook post, Clearwater Police Department identified the suspect as 44-year-old David H. Berry, 44. The landscaper was allegedly threated after the suspect accused him…
Florida teacher quits after staff allegedly removed posters of Black heroes
An elementary school teacher reportedly quit his job after a district employee allegedly took down a collage of pictures that showed Black heroes he had on the wall of his classroom. Michael James, who was a teacher at O.J. Semmes Elementary School, sent a letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis…
Social media model charged with killing boyfriend — 4 months after his death
An Instagram and OnlyFans model was arrested Wednesday on a murder charge, four months after allegedly fatally stabbing her boyfriend in the chest at their luxury apartment in Miami. Courtney Clenney was taken into custody while at a rehab facility in Hawaii, where she was reportedly receiving treatment for substance…
Two teens arrested for allegedly attacking LGBT teen in Florida
Two teens seen on video brutally attacking an LGBTQ teen at a park in Florida have been arrested, authorities announced today. Chad Sanford, 14, reportedly was attacked after he was invited to hang out with a group of people around his age who the teen thought were friends. “They came…
Video shows beach ranger in Florida hit Black woman, use racial slur
An employee for the City of Dania Beach in Florida was reportedly fired and is facing charges after she was seen on video hit a Black woman and use racially-abusive language. The incident reportedly happened after the Black woman and her family said they were given a citation while in…
Florida pastor arrested, allegedly caught with pants down with teen boy he met on Grindr
A Florida pastor was arrested after he was allegedly caught with his pants down with a 15-year-old boy inside of his car. Authorities were responding to a 9-1-1 call about loud music coming from a golf course in Palm Coast when a deputy saw a Toyota Camry parked near it.…
Video: White man pulls out AR-style gun on Black man landscaping in Florida
A White man in Florida was caught on camera brandishing an AR-style weapon and threatening a Black man who was landscaping with his daughter inside the vehicle. The incident reportedly happened in a Clearwater neighborhood and started over a parking issue. The man who said he owned the home next…
Florida university department suspends anti-racism statement due to “Stop WOKE Act”
The English department at University of Central Florida enacted a statement last year to combat racism — and just one year later they’re reportedly forced to suspend the statement due to the Governor’s so-called “Stop WOKE Act” which passed last year. UCF’s Department of English put its anti-racism statement into…