The head of the NAACP is calling on Black student-athletes to reconsider their decisions to attend public colleges and universities in Florida, challenging a new state policy that bars those institutions from using government funds on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In a letter sent Monday to current and future student-athletes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NAACP leader Derrick Johnson implored college-bound Black athletes to “choose wisely.”
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount to ensuring equitable and effective educational outcomes,” Johnson said in a statement accompanying the letter, which was first reported by NBC News. “The value Black and other college athletes bring to large universities is unmatched.”
“If these institutions are unable to completely invest in those athletes, it’s time they take their talents elsewhere,” said Johnson, the civil rights organization’s president and chief executive.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year signed a bill that largely prohibits public colleges and universities from using state and federal funds on programs commonly grouped together under the acronym DEI.
Johnson’s letter was sent 10 days after the University of Florida eliminated all diversity, equity and inclusion positions in accordance with a state rule — a move that drew condemnation from NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, an alum of the school, who said on X that minority athletes there should “be aware and vocal about this decision.”
In response to a request for comment Monday, a spokeswoman for DeSantis directed NBC News to a March 1 tweet from the governor. “DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities,” he said on X. “I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit.”
In recent years, Republican politicians, conservative activists and right-wing social media influencers have railed against DEI programs and an array of sociopolitical ideas…
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