Backlash against wokeness has been building around the country.
The Sunshine State is ground zero for the war against it.
And a woke diversity leader crushed Democrats with this bad news about Florida.
Florida DEI leader, Republican policies have left wokeness on life support
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis famously boasted that his state is where woke goes to die.
He has been waging warfare against the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) scam.
South Florida People of Color founder Ronni Bennet created South Florida People of Color in 2015 to teach businesses and schools about why DEI should be at the forefront of their mission and about marginalized groups.
DeSantis signed the Stop Woke Act into law in 2022 which resulted in Bennett’s revenue being cut in half from $300,000 to $150,000.
“We’re in trouble,” Bennett said.
She worked in marketing for IBM and HP before she launched her group.
Bennett claimed that corporate America struggled with diversity issues.
“I know how it is,” Bennett stated. “You’re usually the only black person in a department.”
She complained that too many white men were getting promoted when she worked in Silicon Valley which prompted her interest in DEI.
DeSantis cuts the cash flow to the DEI industry
South Florida People of Color had to cut back on its community events after a loss of revenue.
Bennett’s group put on “Awkward Dinner” events where black, Hispanic, and other minority members of the community would discuss race.
“We’re getting people together that would normally never be together,” Bennett said. “They come out of this wanting to be friends.”
South Florida People of Color’s business was booming after the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
Bennett had clients from all over the country including Wyoming and New York.
A portion of the Stop Woke Act, which prohibited private businesses from forcing employees to go to DEI training, had an injunction placed on it by a judge while the legal battle plays out.
Florida lawyer Alexander Rundlet told the Miami Herald that many businesses do not realize that part of the law is no longer in effect.
“It’s important because the Stop Woke Act for businesses became very prominent after passing,” Rundlet explained. “It made every business fearful it couldn’t [participate] in DEI training in fear of the act. Since March, it’s clear this doesn’t apply to businesses.”
He thought it was up to groups like South Florida People of Color to inform the public that a portion of the law no longer applies.
“A lot of deep and widespread harm has been inflicted over the past few years,” Rundlet said. “People like Roni Bennett have to do a lot of work to undo that harm.”
Florida International University professor Melba Pearson said that the Stop Woke Act has resulted in dramatic changes at her school.
“At our university, we saw dramatic changes because of the law and the disbanding of different departments designed for DEI work,” Pearson lamented.
The big business of DEI is slowly being eradicated from Florida under the leadership of Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
