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Ron DeSantis may be running for president but so far, his ability to bring revenue to his state is questionable, to say the least. His beef with Disney currently being adjudicated via a lawsuit, reportedly cost the state a billion dollars and now, the nation’s oldest Black fraternity is taking its business elsewhere.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. announced this week that they would no longer hold their 2025 convention in Florida, citing the racist and discriminatory policies that have been approved there.
“Governor DeSantis has continuously advocated for laws and policies that negatively impact Black people and other marginalized communities,” Alpha general president Willis L. Lonzer III told The Hill.
He added, “We start first with the laws rejecting the teaching race and the cultural diversity of our nation. We can even talk about the bill that he supported, banning [diversity, equity and inclusion] initiatives in colleges and universities. But the final straw really was his advancement of these new curriculum standards released last week, suggesting enslaved people developed skills that could later be a personal benefit to them, which is absolutely absurd.”
Alpha Phi Alpha formed at Cornell University in 1906, and is recognized as the nation’s first Black Greek letter organization. They are part of the ‘Divine Nine’ group of Black fraternities and sororities that have been a part of collegiate life since then and are known for their public service and charitable work.
Despite controversies over hazing and perceived elitism, the Divine Nine has survived and continued to produce members who make various contributions to the community. Stanley Nelson’s 2018 documentary Tell Them We Are Rising covers their history.
Notable Alphas include the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Frederick Douglass, Keenan Ivory Wayans, legendary Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson, A Different World star Darryl Bell and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Alpha Phi Alpha’s 97th General Convention and 117th Anniversary Convention concluded over the weekend in Dallas, Texas. Lonzer said that while he and his fraternity are taking their $4.5M dollars in projected convention revenue from the state of Florida, they intend to continue the fight against DeSantis and the policies he supports by making sure their membership in Florida has the tools they need to fight with their votes.
“We need to be clear that slavery was immoral, and anyone who suggests otherwise is either incredibly ignorant or grossly divisive or both,” Lonzer told The Washington Post. “Our efforts are to really make sure that it’s clear that we will not tolerate that level of disrespect. This is considered an economic protest by removing our convention out of the Orlando market and, really, out of Florida.”
Alpha Phi Alpha will determine a new location for 2025 after the convention concludes.
