Florida Democratic Party Supports Black Democratic Members of the Legislature as They Respond to the Attorney General’s Baseless Attack on Equity and Civil Rights

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today the Black Democratic Members of the Florida Legislature held a press conference to condemn an opinion released by the Attorney General on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that claimed that all of Florida’s Racial Discrimination laws were unconstitutional. In response to their bravery, Florida Democratic Party Chair, Nikki Fried, and Democratic Black Caucus of Florida President Armando Grundy-Gomes issued the following statements:

“I commend and stand with the bold, dedicated, and courageous members of the Florida legislature that spoke out against the Attorney General today. Black Democratic leaders in Florida have long been the standard bearers of truth, justice, and rationality for our state,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair, Nikki Fried. “Despite extreme hostility in Tallahassee, they have been steadfast in their commitment to making Florida a place where all can not just live, but thrive. To achieve that goal, the state must fulfill its affirmative duty to remedy past and present discrimination.”

“Using powers he doesn’t have in drafting an opinion that no one asked for, James Uthmeier chose to twist the words of our Constitution on a day meant to celebrate the legacy of equal protection under the law for all,” Chair Fried continued.

“His opinion shows his belief that it is okay that Black women die at nearly 3x the rate of white women during childbirth; that he is okay with environmental and industrial practices that leave Black people more likely to suffer chronic illness. His ill researched opinion reveals that he is okay with the historic practice of redlining and its impact of hundreds of millions of dollars of lost generational wealth for Black families; it shows his lack of concern at the gap in literacy rates among Black and white children. Floridians deserve better than an unelected, uniformed, water carrier of mediocrity to represent the legal interest of its people.”

In a separate statement, Democratic Black Caucus of Florida State President Armando Grundy-Gomes emphasized the constitutional and historical stakes of the opinion: 

“The opinion issued by the Attorney General attempts to strip context from both history and law. Policies designed to address documented inequities did not emerge in a vacuum — they exist because discrimination was real, systemic, and enduring, and its effects remain measurable today,” said Grundy-Gomes.

“Equity is not a departure from constitutional principles; it is a fulfillment of them. When protections intended to ensure fair access to health care, education, economic opportunity, and civic participation are broadly cast as unconstitutional, the result is not neutrality — it is regression. Black legislators are right to raise the alarm, and their leadership is essential to ensuring that Florida does not retreat from its obligation to protect all of its people.”   

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