The NAACP wants Black student athletes to reconsider taking their talents to colleges in the state of Florida after it recently prohibited the use of government funding for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs at public universities.
NAACP Chairman Leon Russell and President and CEO Derrick Johnson cosigned a letter on Monday addressed to National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker. The NAACP sent their letter ten days after the University of Florida (UF), in compliance with the new state law, eliminated all of the college’s DEI programs..
“This is not about politics,” states the letter. “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.”
“Football, in particular, is more than a game—it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, with most revenue earned off the backs of Black student-athletes,” the letter reads. “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. If any institution is to reap the benefits of Black talent, it is only right that they completely invest in Black futures.”
The NAACP letter follows last week’s tweet on X from former Florida Gators football star and University of Florida alumnus, Emmitt Smith. “I’m utterly disgusted by UF’s decision and the precedent that it sets. Without the DEI department, the job falls to the Office of the Provost, who already has their hands full.”
“We cannot continue to believe and trust that a team of leaders all made up of the same background will make the right decision when it comes to equality and diversity. History has proven that is not the case,” Smith wrote.
“We need diverse thinking and backgrounds to enhance our University and the DEI department is necessary to accomplish those goals,” added Smith. “And to those who think it’s not your problem and stay on the side lines and say nothing, you are complicit in supporting systemic issues.”
When asked to provide a comment, a spokesperson Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pointed NBC News to a tweet from the governor’s account on March 1. “DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit.”