Students at universities and colleges across Florida, including Florida State University, the University of Florida and Florida International University, among others, staged a coordinated walkout Thursday in protest of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ moves to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as well as critical race theory, from higher education. Some high school students also joined in on the statewide walkout.
Students from multiple organizations set up tents and tables, with the NAACP, The United Faculty of Florida and Safeguarding American Values for Everyone, among those represented.
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"I’m also planning on being a future educator, and I’m a student and the bottom line of this issue is it’s an attack on education and it’s an attack on freedom of speech," FIU student Ness Cruz said. "I believe those are probably the two biggest principles that are driving this movement."
The student-organized protests are in response to what they claim is the governor's politicization of education.
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DeSantis has moved to ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade under the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by activists the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
DeSantis also signed the "Stop WOKE" act in 2022, a law that restricted teaching that members of one race are inherently racist or should feel guilt about past actions by other people of the same race, among other things.
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More recently, he blocked high schools from teaching a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies, contending it was a violation of a state law and historically inaccurate.
Beyond K-12 schools, DeSantis appointed six conservative trustees to the board of The New College of Florida, a small liberal arts college long known as a progressive institution.
And he has announced plans to restrict state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory.
