In response to the growing number of anti-diversity laws, various Black organizations and prominent individuals have been fighting against these DEI bans. The NAACP’s call for a Florida boycott is the latest of several appeals to student-athletes to fight DEI bans. Last month, Birmingham, Alabama’s Mayor Randall Woodfin called on Black student-athletes not to attend public universities in Alabama after that state passed its anti-DEI legislation; Alabama, like Florida, is very prominent in college sports, driven mainly by Black athletes. Earlier this month, NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, who grew up in Florida and played for the University of Florida before joining the Dallas Cowboys, tweeted that he was “utterly disgusted by UF’s decision.” The message called on “the MANY minority athletes at UF” to “please be aware and vocal about this decision by the University who is now closing the doors on other minorities without any oversight.”

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— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) March 3, 2024

So far, Republican-led states have continued their efforts to dismantle diversity programs in public schools, boosted by last year’s Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions. However, time will tell if the possibility that these policies will lead to a boycott by student-athletes from some of the nation’s top college sports programs might cause policymakers to reconsider their stances.

Diversity

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