Talk Radio – May 16: Florida: Stay Woke, Stay Strong, VOTE! Rolling Protest Planned June 19th – 23rd

GUESTS

 AFT President Randi Weingarten: 12:00-12:13 PM ET

Senator Tony Hill: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Former Florida State Senator; served two decades in state Legislature and as aide to Rep. Al Lawson and Mayor Alvin Brown

Adora Obi Nweze: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
Member of the National NAACP Board of Directors; President, Florida NAACP; past educator in Florida

Francesca Mitchell: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
National NAACP Region 5 Youth Board Member

SHOW DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND

Florida has become ground zero for suppressing democratic principles, ideas and academic freedom. Over the past months, Florida has passed or introduced legislation that has resulted in banning books focused on inclusion education; divested state funds from schools that practice principles of diversity, equity and inclusion; and has criminalized teaching of American History.  In the forefront of these attacks have been the valiant teachers. Already, seriously underpaid, these teachers have been placed by Gov. DeSantis on the frontlines of his unconstitutional attacks on the Freedom to Learn. Igniting Change is honored to welcome as our lead featured guest, Randi Weingarten, President American Federation of Teachers (AFT) who has been leading the fight in Florida and throughout the nation to expose the economic inequalities facing teachers and other workers and the cynical use of so called “culture wars” to distract from the need for a more equitable economic order. She will discuss the recent report of the AFT entitled “How Ron DESANTIS sold out Florida Homeownerss: Insurance Rates Soar, Corporations Profit, Campaign Cash Floods In.” This report highlights the tremendous increase in insurance premiums in Florida and the disastrous impact on Low-income communities and communities of color in particular. Chief among these brutal policies has been the stripping of complainants rights to attorney fees. The report exposes the role of “campaign cash” and “insider dealing” in driving “these price-hiking policies.” The report ends with several restorative recommendations to stop this crisis. In addition, President Weingarten will discuss the corrosive impact of Desantis’ book banning, teaching restrictions, fines, punishments and other “culture war” prohibition on Teachers.

In the Second segment, our guests will pick up this discussion by outlining why we will be actively protesting other restrictions on our freedom, including the slate of anti-LGBTQIA bill and proposals, especially the anti-trans legislation, which include not only books and what schools can teach and say, but bans hospitals from providing gender affirming care; penalizes parents who are supportive of their trans youth by taking them into care of the state; allows health care providers to deny care based on their beliefs; restricts what sports and bathrooms people who are trans can use; and, further restricts facilities such as public property and shelters from allowing people to use the facilities that align with their gender identity. Lastly, this protest is also about women’s rights, from the anti-abortion bans to the bans on the ability of young girls discussing their periods in schools.

Many national organizations are teaming up with Florida local organizations to fight against the assault on democracy that is occurring in Florida.  The combined team is planning a “Rolling Protest” throughout State of Florida to highlight our concerns and demand action.  The “Rolling Protest” is designed to be one of many actions taken in the State of Florida to raise awareness and encourage the communities in Florida to stand up and fight back against the suppressive actions taken by Governor DeSantis and the State Legislature.

The John Lewis Votercades and Celebration Villages is a concept designed by the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) that is used to raise a local community’s awareness about issues confronting the community and to encourage the community’s political participation to confront the local issues.  TJC has utilized John Lewis Votercades in over 200 communities in multiple states throughout the nation to lift awareness and knowledge about elections and voting season.  In every community that TJC has held a Votercade and Celebration Village, the voter participation in that district increased significantly. The Votercade and Celebration Village Concept is based upon having fun and bringing the community together to learn.

The votercade concept involves a parade of vehicles that proceed through communities and ends at a park, parking lot or other location where a “Celebration Village” occurs.  The Votercade will have multiple vehicles decorated with “Protect Our Vote” placards and other decorations on the vehicles to capture the attention in the neighborhoods in which the Votercade proceeds.  Car horns draw attention to the votercade; a decorated John Lewis “Make Good Trouble VOTE” bus accompanies the votercade; and, in some instances a “Hoopbus” will accompany the votercade, drawing young voters and kids to the votercade to shoot basketballs at the “hoop” on the front and back of “decked out” school bus playing music as it proceeds with the votercade.

The Celebration Village is a gathering of the neighborhood community to celebrate voting season.  The Celebration Village features free food trucks, music, face painting and an educational component, such as Teach-Ins – where the community comes to learn about issues of concern to the community.  The Hoopbus, too, is part of the Celebration Village.  The Celebration Village is where neighbors come to have fun and learn about issues of importance to the community and register to vote or learn about their voting status.   The Celebration Village also serves as a resource for information for returning citizens to learn of their rights to vote.

At each stop there will be a public event to uplift our ‘Stay Woke, Stay Strong, VOTE! Protest which will encourage Voter registration, Voter Education, Restoration of voting rights, celebration of Teachers, Celebration of Local Activists, Teach Ins and Childrens’ Reading Circles and the Distribution of Banned Books.

The “Rolling Protest” Schedule.  

Dates of Rolling Tour : Juneteenth, June 19, 2023 – June 23, 2023

Hours of Events : The time and length of each stop varies, please consult schedule

The local route of the Rolling Protest and the exact location of the Celebration Village is determined by each local coordinating committee or local sponsoring organization(s).

The “Rolling Protest” stops by location: STAY WOKE FLORIDA! ROLLING PROTEST!
JUNE 19, 2023–JUNE 23, 2023 SCHEDULE 

MONDAY, JUNE 19TH

• 7:30-9:30 AM Registration and Breakfast Welcoming Program
• 8:30-10:00AM Hotel Check Out and Bus Loading
• 10:00 AM Juneteenth Stay Woke Florida! Rolling Protest Kick-Off Press Conference
• 11:30 AM  Departure 
  Votercade From Jacksonville to Tallahassee
• Arrive Tallahassee: 1:30 PM
• 1:45–4:00 PM Juneteenth Tallahassee Press Conference (2:00 PM) March, Rally, Celebration, Voter Registration & Banned Book Giveaway at Rev Holmes’ Church
• 4:00 PM Depart 
  Votercade From Tallahassee to Gainesville
• 7:00 PM Gainesville Hotel Check In
• 8:00 PM Gainesville Juneteenth Reception, Concert and Dinner 

TUESDAY, JUNE 20TH 

• 8:00 AM Hotel check out
• 8:30 AM Votercade from Gainesville to Ocala
• 9:30 AM Arrive Ocala
• 10:30 AM Depart Ocala
• Votercade From Ocala to Leesburg
• 11:30 AM-1:00 PM Arrive Leesburg, Program and Lunch
• Votercade From Leesburg to Orlando
• 2:00 PM Arrive Orlando Museum
• 5:00 PM Depart
• Votercade from Orlando to Tampa FL
• Tampa Hotel Check In 6:30 PM
• 7:30 Tampa Program and Dinner 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21ST 

• 8:00 AM Tampa FL – Hotel check out
• Votercade From Tampa to Sarasota
• 9:00 AM Arrive Sarasota
• 9:00-11:00 AM Sarasota Program
• Votercade From Sarasota To Ft. Meyers FL
• 12:00 PM Arrive Ft. Myers
• Ft. Myers Luncheon program
• 2:00 PM Votercade from Ft. Meyers FL –to Miami
• 5:30 PM Miami Hotel Check In
• 7:00 PM Miami Program and Dinner 

THURSDAY, JUNE 22ND

• 12:00 Late Miami Hotel check out
• 10:00-11:30 AM Morning Miami Program
• 1:00 PM Depart Miami 
• Votercade From Miami to Ft. Lauderdale
• 2:15 PM Arrive Ft. Lauderdale
• 2:30-4:00 Ft. Lauderdale Program
• Ft. Lauderdale Program
• Votercade From Ft. Lauderdale to West Palm Beach
• 5:00 PM Arrive West Palm Beach
• Check Into West Palm Beach Hotel
• 7:00 PM Dinner Program  

FRIDAY, JUNE 23RD

• 8:00 AM West Palm Beach – Hotel Check Out Hotel
• Votercade from West Palm Beach to Mims
• 10:45  AM Arrive Mims
• 10:45 AM—1:00 PM HARRY T. MOORE CENTER, Movie, Wreath Laying In Honor of the Moores & Lunch
• Votercade From Mims to Daytona Beach
• 2:00 PM Arrive Daytona
• 2:10 PM—3:30 Wreath Laying in Honor of Mary McLeod Bethune and Daytona Beach Program   
• Votercade From Daytona Beach To St. Augustine
• Arrive 4:30 PM
• 4:30–6:00 PM St. Augustine Program
• Votercade From St. Augustine To Jacksonville FL.
• 7:00 PM Arrive Jacksonville & Hotel Check In
• Closing Reception and Party! 

QUESTIONS

• Senator Tony Hill, you have served in the Florida State Legislature as a senator. And Florida has had liberal governors and has been seen as a great retreat for people. In your opinion, what has changed?
• Adora, you have been outspoken in opposition to these tremendous loss of freedoms as President of the Florida NAACP. What have you found disturbing in these lessenings of the rights of Floridians?
• Francesca, as a youth leader in the national and statewide NAACP, how have you reacted to the anti-DEI prohibitions, book bannings, and all of the other restrictions on members of the LGBTQIA, especially trans people; anti-women’s rights including abortion and discussion of periods, and other “anti-woke” measures?
• Given all the protests that have been held, why do we need this Rolling Protest? Why Juneteenth?
• What do you hope this Rolling Protest will accomplish?
• Adora, teachers have especially been penalized, demonized, and punished. As a former teacher in Florida, what do you consider the worst aspects of what he and the state legislature have done?
• Francesca, we are interviewing and selecting a class of 25 young people to be “Freedom Riders” on the bus. Why is it important that youth are in the leadership of this work?
• Let’s talk about the schedule of stops for the Rolling Protest. 
• Why these cities and locations?
• What are some of the events that are going to be held?
• Why should people come out?
• How do people get involved and participate?
• How do people volunteer?
• What are your final thoughts for our listeners?
• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?