Thompson Topics 2023 Legislative Committee Week 2/13/2023-2/17/2023

Thompson Topics 2023 Legislative Committee Week 2/13/2023-2/17/2023   This week I attended multiple committee meetings such as the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, Appropriations Committee on Education, and the Committee on Children, Families, and elder Affairs. We were shown presentations from Governor Ron DeSantis’s new Framework from Freedom 2023-2024 budget. Several Florida Senators and Representatives spoke as well as Reverend Al Sharpton during a peaceful protest that took place at the Florida Capitol regarding efforts to ban AP African American History. Legislators stressed that Black History is American History and the removal of the course being taught in Florida is an attack on not just the black community but all Floridians. Rev Sharpton said he and others objected to the statement that AP African American History has “No educational value.” On February 15th I hosted an event with The Florida Legislative Black Caucus at the Challenger Learning Center for Black History Month focusing on the topic of Resistance and African American History. We discussed the resistance of Harry T Moore and details of the Groveland Four Trial. The Groveland Four were a group of four African American men who were wrongly beaten, convicted, and sentenced to death over the alleged rape of a white woman. Over the course of seven year, I fought to clear their names. In 2019, they received a pardon and were exonerated in 2021. Harry T Moore was a civil rights activist, educator and member of the NAACP who was assassinated due to his activism and outspoken support of the Groveland Four’s innocence. On February 25 at 6pm I will be hosting this event again at Icon Park in Orlando. The event is free and open to the public.

“Resistance and African American History 2023” Bill Gary (left) from the Harry T. Moore Cultural Complex giving some insightful history to guest who came to support along with State Senator Geraldine Thompson (right).

Guest being transported through history getting educated on the resistance of Harry T. Moore who, in the 1940s and 1950s along with recently released details of the Groveland four trial.