Equal Ground Launches Statewide Tour to Mobilize Black Voters Ahead of 2024 Elections
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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Organization Aims to Combat Extremist Legislation and Ensure Black Voices are Heard
Equal Ground, a prominent Black-led non-partisan non-profit in Florida, has kicked off an ambitious statewide voter education and mobilization tour. Specifically, the organization seeks to engage the state’s nearly 2 million Black voters. Their goal is to “combat extremist legislation and ensure Black Floridians understand their rights and how to make their voices heard” in the upcoming 2024 elections. (SOURCE: Statewide campaign: Mobilize Black voters for 2024 elections to overturn ‘extremist legislation’.)
The tour launched on Saturday, April 20 in Pinellas County. Moreover, additional stops are planned for Orange, Hillsborough, and Lee counties. Equal Ground intends to call attention to what they describe as “wide-reaching attacks on communities of color” by the Republican-majority Florida Legislature. (SOURCE: Statewide campaign: Mobilize Black voters for 2024 elections to overturn ‘extremist legislation’.)
Educating Voters on Changes to Florida’s Voting Laws
A key focus of Equal Ground’s efforts is providing resources to prepare voters to make a plan to vote. This includes information on changes to Florida’s voting laws like Senate Bill 90. Notably, this bill dropped 4.9 million Floridians from vote-by-mail rolls in 2022. (SOURCE: Voter Engagement | Equal Ground.)
“We’re not telling people how to vote. We just want to educate people around what happened [in the legislative session],” said Genesis Robinson, Equal Ground’s interim executive director. (SOURCE: ‘We’re not telling people how to vote. We just want to educate people … .)
The organization holds events like virtual phone banks and community engagement trainings. These events aim to re-enroll Black Floridians for vote-by-mail and educate them on the changes in voting laws. Additionally, they partner with religious, political, and other groups like the NAACP, League of Women Voters, and Black churches to further their voter education and mobilization efforts. (SOURCE: Get Out to Vote Community Engagement Training (Equal Ground …, YOUR VOTE: Equal Ground stops at Fort Myers church for voter ….)
Florida Legislature Passes Bills Impacting Black Community in 2024 Session
The Florida Legislature passed several high-profile bills during the 2024 session that could significantly impact the state’s Black community. While a few targeted measures aimed to support Black Floridians, many of the session’s most controversial bills have been criticized as “hostile” to the community by civil rights advocates.
Education Bills Limit Teaching on Race and Diversity Programs
Building on the controversial “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” passed in 2022, Republican lawmakers pushed through additional bills in 2024. These bills restrict how race-related issues can be taught in schools and limit funding for diversity programs in higher education. Senate Bill 266 prohibits state universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Meanwhile, the impact of 2022’s HB 7 continues to be felt in K-12 schools. (SOURCES: Florida education reform initiatives limit African American studies …, Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation to Protect Floridians from ….)
“The question is why can’t this information be presented to a 15-year-old, 16- or 17-year-old?” said David Canton, director of the University of Florida’s African American Studies Program. (SOURCE: Florida education reform initiatives limit African American studies ….)
An effort to mandate more comprehensive African American history instruction, SB 344, failed to pass. The bill aimed to prohibit curriculum implying enslaved people benefited from slavery. This came after controversial changes approved in 2023 provided a positive slant on the topic. (SOURCE: Senate Bill 344 (2024) – The Florida Senate.)
Policing Bills Limit Citizen Oversight, Raise Concerns About Brutality
Legislators passed bills putting a 25-foot “no-go” zone around police. They also passed bills limiting the power of citizen-led police oversight boards. Democrats and advocacy groups argue these measures could prevent constituents from documenting police misconduct. Moreover, they contradict efforts to reform policing practices that disproportionately impact Black communities. (SOURCES: 2024 Legislative Priorities | ACLU of Florida, Statewide campaign: Mobilize Black voters for 2024 elections to ….)
Voting Law Changes Continue to Raise Alarm
Equal Ground and other advocates claim recent changes to Florida’s voting laws, such as SB 90 passed in 2022, led to hundreds of thousands of Black voters being removed from the rolls. The organization is working to re-enroll and educate Black Floridians on these changes ahead of the 2024 elections. (SOURCES: Florida: Unsafe for Black Americans – NAACP, Statewide campaign: Mobilize Black voters for 2024 elections to ….)
Some Targeted Bills Aim to Support Black Floridians
Despite the overall concerning legislative trend, Black lawmakers were able to pass a few bills directly supporting the community. These include HB 7085, establishing a $10 million grant program for sickle cell disease treatment. Additionally, they passed a bill raising the minimum age to work in adult entertainment to 21 to protect young women. (SOURCE: Florida bills 2024: What passed, failed in Legislative Session.)
Advocates Argue Overall Impact is Negative, Urge Black Voters to Mobilize
The NAACP and other civil rights advocates argue that despite a few positive measures, the overall impact of the 2024 legislative session was detrimental to Black Floridians. They claim many of the high-profile bills signed into law are “hostile to Black Americans.” This is especially true for those related to education, policing, and voting. Furthermore, they argue these bills aim to “restrict diversity, equity and inclusion.” (SOURCES: Florida: Unsafe for Black Americans – NAACP, Florida’s ‘hostile’ laws? Five laws NAACP listed in travel advisory..)
Combating Extremist Legislation and Advocating for Voting Rights
In addition to voter education, Equal Ground aims to inform voters about bills passed during Florida’s legislative sessions that impact the Black community, both positively and negatively. The group organizes events like the Florida Day at the Capitol. At these events, community leaders meet with legislators on important issues and participate in advocacy activities. (SOURCE: 2024 Florida Day at the Capitol | Equal Ground, Equal Ground promotes voter education, urges Black community to ….)
Equal Ground has been vocal in its criticism of recent legislation signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. For instance, they opposed the bill effectively banning civilian oversight of police departments. On the other hand, the organization supported the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act in 2024 to expand voting access. (SOURCE: Equal Ground Reacts to Gov. DeSantis signing Bill to ban Citizen …, Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act.)
Long-Term Commitment to Expanding Black Political Power
While Equal Ground believes they have had a tremendous impact in increasing Black civic engagement in Florida, they remain committed for the long haul. Their goal is to translate this engagement into public policy and electing candidates who share the community’s values. (SOURCE: Equal Ground promotes voter education, urges Black community to ….)
“We have to be in this for the long haul,” said Robinson. “It’s not just about getting people engaged, but it’s about translating that engagement into public policy. Furthermore, it’s about translating that engagement into electing people who share our values.” (SOURCE: Equal Ground promotes voter education, urges Black community to ….)
With the 2024 elections on the horizon, Equal Ground’s voter education and mobilization efforts will be critical. These efforts will ensure Florida’s Black community is informed, engaged, and empowered to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
About the author
Darius Spearman has been a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He has authored several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.
