‘Just ignore it,’ says black Florida business owner of NAACP travel advisory
A black Florida business owner says travelers planning to vacation in the Sunshine State should ignore the NAACP’s recent travel advisory.
“I would tell black people who saw this notice not to come to Florida and just ignore it,” Mike Hill, owner of an independent insurance and financial services agency in Pensacola, told Fox News Digital.
BLACK BUSINESS OWNER IN FLORIDA SAYS NAACP TRAVEL ADVISORY WAS A “PR STUFF”:
WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE
The NAACP travel advisory, released earlier this week, accused Florida of being “hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people.” The organization said in a press release that the action was “in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase black history and restrict diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Florida schools. He also cited various bills the governor recently signed into law, including abortion restrictions, the new constitutional porting law, and a ban on funding DEI programs at Florida public universities.
“Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the State of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions and challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color,” the statement read.
GIANNO CALDWELL SLAMS NAACP ON FLORIDA TRAVEL ADVISORY: ‘PUT ONE IN CHICAGO’
But Hill accused the NAACP of releasing the statement, which received widespread media attention, to help raise funds.
A Florida business owner says the NAACP travel advisory was an attempt to raise funds. He says the action will have no impact as tourists will still come to the Sunshine State in droves. (Digital Fox News)
“I believe they see the amount of tens of millions of dollars that Black Lives Matter has been able to raise from the leftist agenda, and so they want some of that sauce,” he said. “I think it was more of a publicity stunt. It was a fundraising attempt more than anything.”
He also claimed the statement was released now as “fodder” to use against DeSantis while he runs for president; he officially entered the 2024 peloton this week. And he pointed out that NAACP Chairman of the Board, Leon W. Russell, lives in the Tampa area.
NAACP LEADER DEFENDS LIFE IN FLORIDA DESPITE ORG TRAVEL WARNING: ‘WE DIDN’T TELL ANYBODY TO LEAVE’
Hill says it’s ironic. NAACP President Russell has lived in Tampa, Florida for years. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The irony that he lived here most of his adult life, actually witnessed a thousand people a day moving to Florida for the opportunity that is before us and that ‘he would always issue a statement saying don’t come here because of the racist attitudes that exist in Florida,’ Hill said.
DeSantis called the NAACP travel advisory a “political stunt” while chatting with Elon Musk on Twitter’s “Spaces” platform Wednesday night when he announced his 2024 presidential campaign.
“To say that Florida is unsafe is a complete joke,” he said.
COLLAPSE OF TWITTER SPACES ON DESANTIS ANNOUNCEMENT PROVOKS SCORCHED EARTH REACTION FROM TRUMP SUPPORTERS
Florida’s governor responded to the NAACP’s travel advisory and said the move was a “political stunt.” He also announced on Wednesday that he would run for president in 2024. (Rebecca S. Gratz for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Hill, who is also part of an initiative to promote black Americans called Project 21, said the NAACP’s actions will only hurt the organization in the future.
“I don’t think that will deter anyone from coming to Florida,” Hill said. “If anything, I think it’s going to backfire on the NAACP and show how useless they’ve become as an organization.”
To learn more about a business owner in Florida, click here.
Fox Gt
