NAACP claims Florida is unsafe for Black people, but data suggests otherwise.

NAACP Warns Against Travel to Florida, but Hate Crimes More Prevalent in Liberal States

The NAACP’s Travel Advisory

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recently issued a “travel advisory” for black Americans, warning them to stay out of Florida due to the state’s “openly hostile” policies. The advisory cites Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s “aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools,” particularly a bill that prevents public schools from offering AP African American Studies courses.

Reality of Life in Florida

However, a review by the Washington Free Beacon found that minorities are more likely to be victims of hate crimes in liberal states like California. In fact, black Floridians enjoy lower unemployment, higher median incomes, and lower rates of both hate crimes and police killings than their counterparts in other states. Black unemployment in Florida stood at 3.8 percent by the end of 2022, much lower than the national average of 6.1 percent or California’s 7.5 percent. Florida is also second in the country for the most minority-owned businesses, which may explain why median black family income is higher there than in blue states such as Illinois.

Hate Crimes and Police Killings in Florida

Florida law enforcement recorded 127 hate crimes in 2020, compared with 1,537 in California and 466 in New York. Three years into DeSantis’s first term as governor, the state saw a significantly lower amount of hate crimes than California. The reported hate crime rate in Florida was 0.6 per 100,000 people, according to the FBI, and 3.1 per 100,000 people in California. There is also evidence that blacks are far less likely to be killed by police in Florida than California or Washington, D.C.

DeSantis’s Success with Black Voters

DeSantis’s success with black voters may also help explain why NAACP’s board chairman Leon Russell lives in Tampa Bay, and why at least five of his colleagues have traveled to Florida for vacation since DeSantis was first elected in 2018. In both 2018 and 2022, DeSantis saw double-digit support from the black community, far higher than typical for a Republican candidate.

In conclusion, while the NAACP warns black travelers to “be aware of the open hostility towards African Americans and people of color” in Florida, the economic and crime statistics suggest that black Floridians enjoy a higher degree of safety and prosperity than their counterparts in other states.