Tallahassee, FL - On the steps of the old Capitol building, activists and lawmakers held a demonstration to protest redistricting, accusing Republicans of targeting black individuals in the state of Florida. State Senator Shevrin Jones (D-35), who was also featured in the protest, specifically called out Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for, "racist tactics."
Many of the guest speakers and legislators claim that the new congressional map Gov. DeSantis introduced could potentially define Florida elections for the next decade and disenfranchises black voters. The protests slandered practices such as race-neutral districts and the GOP redistricting effort.
Senator Shevrin Jones took the mic where he said, "I'm happy to stand with my brothers and sisters, and our accomplices, not our allies, here today to call out Governor DeSantis for what it is. I'm no longer calling it a culture war, it is racist tactics is what the governor is doing right now."
"Governor DeSantis I'm going to speak directly to you because it seems as if nobody else matters, not even the people in your own party. I want to tell you that we are clear in what your message is. But would you be clear on ours?" Senator Jones continued, "Here is what our message is: We will not stand down, you want to call us woke, we're more woke than we've ever been. As a matter of fact Governor DeSantis, we're so woke that you only see a few of us back here."
Jones added, "Governor DeSantis, we're so woke that I want to let you know that when we leave here in Tallahassee, we're not just going to organize in our districts. We are going to step outside our districts from Orlando to Key West. Not only will you not be the governor, but we'll make sure you're not the President of the United States!"
Florida Senate State Senator Rosalind Osgood (D-33), who will be participating in her first legislative session today, denounced DeSantis and called for reparations to be made to Black Americans.
