Lawyer, minister, and youngest child of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., Bernice King, is slamming Republican Senator Ted Cruz for his comments about the NAACP.
The NAACP recently issued an official travel advisory warning for Black people visiting Florida, saying that the state has become "hostile to Black Americans" following policies from the state's Republican government. Cruz, who is from Texas, called the decision “bizarre” and “utterly dishonest.”
\u201cThis is bizarre. And utterly dishonest. \n\nIn the 1950s & 1960s, the NAACP did extraordinary good helping lead the civil rights movement. \n\nToday, Dr. King would be ashamed of how profoundly they\u2019ve lost their way.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1684705497
“In the 1950s & 1960s, the NAACP did extraordinary good helping lead the civil rights movement,” he tweeted. “Today, Dr. King would be ashamed of how profoundly they’ve lost their way.”
It didn't take long for King to shame Cruz for his invocation of her father's name as she responded: “What my father would be deeply concerned about is the harmful, discriminatory legislation in Florida.”
\u201cWhat my father would be deeply concerned about is the harmful, discriminatory legislation in Florida.\u201d— Be A King (@Be A King) 1684722680
The NAACP's advisory comes in direct response to governor Ron DeSantis' recent crackdowns on education, which has restricted topics involving racism and LGBTQ+ identities, requiring books in schools to be approved by a state trained media specialist. The DeSantis administration also recently blocked a nationally taught AP African American History class for having a "political agenda."
The Florida State Conference of the NAACP unanimously voted to issue the warning in March, with the national branch implementing the advisory after the blockage of the AP African American History class, as well as bans at the college level on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and gender studies classes.
Cruz has no involvement in Florida government and will not be affected by the NAACP's state advisory. However, while there have not been any formal discussions with in the NAACP or the Texas State Conference about a travel warning to the state, Cruz's home-state of Texas recently passed similar legislation to Florida's that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. If the state continues as such, a travel advisory may not be far away.
- Martin Luther King Jr Monument Draws Backlash ›
- Here's Why Martin Luther King Jr. Paid the Hospital Bill for Julia Roberts' Birth ›
- Human Rights Campaign Issues Travel Warning For LGBTQ+ People Visiting Florida | AdvocateChannel.com ›
- 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing: 60 years After 4 Girls Were Killed in a KKK attack, Memories Live on ›
