Multiple diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firms continue to struggle in Florida in the years following the Stop WOKE Act.
said Loni Bennett, executive director of South Florida People of Color. miami herald She announced Thursday that her nearly $300,000 annual income has been cut in half thanks to Florida's new policy.
“We're in trouble,” Bennett said.
The “Stop WOKE Act” or “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act” is a law passed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022. It targeted critical race theory in work and educational programs. Bennett noticed that even with a small boost during the pandemic, many companies stopped requesting services from her organization.
Companies are reportedly moving away from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. (Getty Images)
The NYT reported that far-left identity politics lost its “control over the country” in this election.
Ms Bennett added that she had noticed a change in some clients' demeanor even before the act, suggesting their original interest was “performance”.
“One client had a CEO change, and the new CEO wasn’t keen on DEI training,” she said.
Consultants like Bennett are now trying to remind current and potential clients that despite public concerns about the Stop WOKE Act, the bill doesn't actually target private companies. There is.
“This is important because stop-wake laws for businesses have become very visible since they were passed,” said Alexander Landrett, a Brickell attorney and public policy consultant. “It made every company worry that they wouldn't be able to do it. [participate] I go through DEI training with fear of doing it. Since March, it has become clear that this is no longer the case for businesses. ”
In March, a federal appeals court ruled that the workplace portion of the law violates the First Amendment.
In April 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 7, known as the Stop Walk Act. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“We disagree and reject this latest attempt to control speech by recharacterizing it as an act. Florida may be exactly right about the nature of thought it targets. Or , or maybe not. In any case, the superiority of these views will be determined” not in codebooks or courtrooms, but in the noisy marketplace of ideas. ” Judge Britt C. Grant wrote at the time. “The First Amendment prevents the government from making assessments.”
A federal judge then issued a permanent injunction against that portion of the law in July. However, parts of the law focused on education are allowed to remain in place.
Despite the favorable ruling, Landrett said DEI consultancies continue to struggle due to a growing anti-woke culture.
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“There's been a lot of deep and widespread damage done over the past few years,” Landrett said. “People like Loni Bennett have to do a lot of work to avoid being unduly exposed to that harm.”
Mr Bennett is concerned that some customers' behavior is nothing more than a “performance”. (St. Petersburg)
The Miami Herald reported that Bennett is looking for angel investors to back the business, but is still “staying true to his work.”
“We owe it to the next generation to make progress,” she said. “I want to be able to dismantle systemic racism in America.”
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