National organization pulls conference out of Florida because of DeSantis' attacks on DEI

A national engineering society is moving its annual convention out of Florida, citing the state's attacks on diversity and inclusion as the reason.

The National Society of Black Engineers announced its 2024 convention will no longer be held in Orlando next spring after participants voiced their concerns about the state's political climate and safety.

“The very basis of our work is equity,” said NSBE CEO Janeen Uzzell. “NSBE was formed almost 50 years ago in response to the sparsity of Black people enrolling and succeeding in engineering education programs. So, we stand firm in our decision to relocate, because, inherently, any efforts that seek to regress diversity, equity and inclusion directly impact us and are unaligned with the mission of NSBE.”

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The convention, which will now be held in Atlanta, Georgia, was expected to bring 15,000 people to Florida, according to the press release.

In a letter to members, Uzzell included a bulleted list of reasons for the move, including: the Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as "Don't Say Gay" by critics; the state's Curriculum Transparency Act, which has led to books containing "woke" ideology being removed from school shelves; the Florida Department of Education's rejection of the College Board's AP African American Studies course; and the state's conceal carry law, which hit the books July 1 and allows people to carry concealed loaded guns anywhere without permits.

"NSBE’s mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community — a mission which leaders of the organization believe could not be advanced while hosting their 2024 Annual Convention in Florida," the organization's press release stated.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president, has attacked diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the state's education system, banning state funding for DEI programs at Florida's public universities and has characterized them as "trendy" and "woke."

DeSantis also signed four bills that directly or indirectly target transgender people and the broader LGBTQ community.

In response, major national advocacy groups have issued travel advisories. The NAACP Board of Directors issued a travel advisory for Florida, claiming DeSantis' policies were undemocratic and "hostile to Black Americans."

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's largest and oldest Hispanic organization, and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights group have also advisories, warning of hostility toward Africans American, Latino and LGBTQ communities.

The NSBE has more than 14,000 members across 650 chapters across the United States, according to the press release.

A request for comment to the cancellation is pending with the governor's office.

There has not yet been a rush of big-ticket cancellations or sports league boycotts in the state as there have been elsewhere in previous years, such as the flood of canceled conventions, sporting events, concerts and business investments that cost North Carolina nearly $4 billion after they passed an anti-trans bathroom bill in 2016, or when Major League Baseball moved its All-Star Game out of Georgia over voting restrictions.

However, organizations cancelling conventions have made headlines in the last couple months. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Friday that Broward County has lost more than a half-dozen conventions due to the political climate.

Orlando has also seen its share of other canceled conventions.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses canceled its 2027 surgical conference and expo for political reasons, Orange County Convention Center spokesperson Katarina Dos Santos told the Orlando Sentinel.

This week, a "Game of Thrones" fan convention also "made the difficult decision to cancel 'Con of Thrones 2023' due to the increasingly anti-humanitarian legislation and atmosphere in Florida." A gaming convention planned for Orlando last January was held online instead after the organizers said the state was no longer safe.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Black engineers move conference from Florida amid DeSantis DEI attacks