Condemnation continues to pour in over Florida Rep. Byron Donalds' (R) comments. After suggesting that Black families were stronger under Jim Crow, a wave of criticism has erupted from Democrats. The latest voice is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which has condemned Rep. Donalds for his "unfortunate" statement.
Shortly after Rep. Donalds' comments made headlines, Florida state Senator Shevrin Jones (D), who's also the Chairman of Miami-Dade County Democrats, slammed the Republican's comments, warning that his words are the reason "why teaching ACCURATE/FACTUAL history is important."
During the Jim Crow era, Florida enacted 19 Jim Crow segregation laws between 1865 and 1967. Just to name a few:
❌ 1881: This Statute made it unlawful for any white person to intermarry with any Negro person.
❌ 1885: Constitution legitimized poll taxes as a prerequisite for…
— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (@ShevrinJones) June 5, 2024
During an interview with CNN, NAACP President Derrick Johnson also weighed in on Rep. Donalds' comments, calling them "unfortunate."
"It's not factual," Johnson said.
Speaking on the representation of Black Americans in Congress, Johnson explained that 1992 is when there was an increase in members of the Congressional Black Caucus "because they had to overcome the remnants of Jim Crow laws."
"For him, a member of Congress, not to understand the history that put him in his seat, to try to align a narrative that's misinformation, so he could be a VP is not only disingenuous, it's unfortunate."
Rep. Donalds has been rumored to be on the shortlist for President Donald Trump's (R) Vice President, and many detractors have accused him of making such statements in an effort to better align himself with the presumptive Republican presidential candidate.
On social media, the NAACP further commented on Rep. Donalds' comment, warning that "the plight of Black Americans under Him Crow law was not better. And if elected officials are responsible for undoing legislation that advanced the Black Community or are responsible for offering ideas that a 1950s reality for Black Americans was in anyway 'good', they must be called out. They must be held accountable."
Rep. Donalds has defended his statements, accusing the media of "gaslighting" voters by twisting his words. On Twitter, he explained that before President Lyndon B Johnson's "Welfare State," the country had more Black families.
"The number of Black families is rising again, and we should celebrate that.
Democrats are gaslighting you by twisting my words.
Black families being TOGETHER is a great thing for the Black community & our nation.
FACT: Before LBJ's welfare state, there were more Black families.
The number of Black families is rising again & we should celebrate that. pic.twitter.com/yzJeGmPa9T
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) June 6, 2024
