NAACP, angered by anti-DEI stance, tells student-athletes: Avoid Florida’s public colleges
The NAACP is calling on student-athletes to avoid Florida’s public colleges and universities in response to the state’s latest moves to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs at those schools.
In a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Monday, Derrick Johnson, the NCAA president, and
Leon Russell, the organization’s board chairperson, wrote that Gov. Ron DeSantis “has waged war on Black America” and called his policies racist.
“This is not about politics,” they wrote. “It’s about the protection of our community, the progression of our culture, and most of all, it’s about your education, and your future.”
Johnson and Russell urged student-athletes to “reconsider any potential decision to attend, and compete at a predominantly white institution in the state of Florida.”
While the letter addressed all student-athletes, it was directed at Black students in particular, an NAACP representative said.
The letter came several days after the University of Florida announced in a memo it had dismantled its Office of the Chief Diversity Officer to comply with a new state law that prohibits spending on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Other schools, including the University of South Florida and the University of North Florida, said they
too had taken steps to eliminate spending to comply with the law.
In the days following the announcement, some prominent athletes weighed in on X.
Former Gator running back Emmitt Smith, who also played for the Dallas Cowboys, said he was “utterly disgusted” by the university’s decision to fold their diversity office.
In their letter to the NCAA, Russell and Johnson wrote that much of the multi-billion-dollar revenue earned by university athletics came from Black athletes.
“If any institution is to reap the benefits of Black talent, it is only right that they completely invest in Black futures,” the letter said.
“This is not simply about sports; it’s about acknowledging and advocating for the rights and supports of Black students within educational environments.”
The University of Florida and other schools had the opportunity to be “more than ... sports powerhouses,” the letter said. “They can be leaders in fostering a wholly supportive educational environment for all students. Until that happens, it’s up to each individual — and to the broader community — to hold these institutions accountable.”
The letter also recognized the cost of taking such a stance.
“The sad reality is, for many Black student-athletes, collegiate sports may be their sole opportunity at achieving the upward mobility necessary to propel them into their rightful places in society,” they wrote.
“This imbalance of power and profit demands a response, particularly because these institutions reap considerable financial benefits from the very individuals they fail to stand by in matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for DeSantis pointed to a March 1 tweet from the governor, saying “DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities.”
DeSantis has previously weighed in on college sports recruiting.
In 2020, he signed one of the country’s first laws to allow college athletes to earn money off their name, image and likeness, saying then it would be “added enticement” for blue-chip recruits to come to Florida or “for all our great Florida high school players [to] stay in state.” A legislative special session effectively repealed that law last year for competitive reasons.
The NCAA requires all Division I colleges and universities to participate in a diversity, equity and inclusion review every four years, which includes a review of each school’s policies, climate and outcomes.
Florida has 13 institutions that participate in Division I athletics. The NCAA also states in its diversity, equity and inclusion review framework that it expects its members to “comply with all federal, state and local laws, in addition to NCAA legislation and policy.”
Ashley White, an education fellow for equity, access and opportunity with the NAACP, said the problem highlighted by the letter is not new.
“But what has happened in Florida through the mandates of DeSantis presents a new era of blatant and heightened disregard for the needs of Black student-athletes,” she said.
White said Division I schools where more than 50 percent of the student population is white were particularly problematic. But she said all public institutions adhering to the state’s policies to receive funds were included, with the exception of Florida A&M, the state’s only historically Black university.
“It’s important to note that the onus for this solving this problem does not rest only and specifically with Black student-athletes,” she said. “It rests with all of us to support them in terms of the choices that we make — as spectators, as alumni of these institutions.”