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Orlando conventions canceled over politics
Several major conventions have canceled their plans to come to Orlando — and organizers say politics and Gov. Ron DeSantis are to blame.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will no longer host its convention in Florida, citing Gov. Ron DeSantis' alleged "harmful, racist, and insensitive policies against the black community," the organization said in a tweet Tuesday.
The African-American fraternity was scheduled to bring its 99th General Convention and 119th Anniversary Convention to Orlando in 2025.
The relocation announcement comes after criticism over Florida's newly adopted African-American studies standards.
In a press release, the fraternity said the K-12 curriculum "erases Florida’s role in slavery and oppression, blames the victims, and declares that African Americans who endured slavery benefitted from the horrific and torturous institution."
"Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has an unmatched legacy of social justice, advocacy, and leadership for the Black community," the organization's general president, Dr. Willis L. Lonzer, III, said in a statement. "In this environment of manufactured division and attacks on the Black community, Alpha Phi Alpha refuses to direct a projected $4.6 million convention economic impact to a place hostile to the communities we serve. Although we are moving our convention from Florida, Alpha Phi Alpha will continue to support the strong advocacy of Alpha Brothers and other advocates fighting against the continued assault on our communities in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis."
The fraternity joins a host of other organizations that have either moved or canceled their conventions in the Sunshine State over politics, including the Parental Rights in Education bill and six-week ban on abortion law.