Opinion: Transforming Florida from ‘Where Woke Goes To Die’ to ‘Where Woke Goes To Multiply’
I ate dinner at Paradis Books & Bread for the first time two weeks ago.
A group of friends, visionaries really, opened the doors to this bakery/restaurant/bar in North Miami in July 2021, after meeting in NYC and dreaming up a way to build (a safe respectful) community through the culinary, not an easy feat in our amazingly fast paced vibrant city, that doesn't easily offer quiet moments to connect. Glowing reviews followed, including being named by Esquire as one of the best bars in the country. My visit? Long overdue.
My wife, I and two friends, also first time visitors, dined on the patio, next to the urban garden, under stringed lights, at one of the mosaic picnic tables. It was a festive, relaxed vibe, with a pool game already in progress and a whole lot of animated conversation. During the two plus hours we sipped, munched and chilled, we were all treated with nothing but respect. And, trust, if some sort of discrimination were going to go down, ours, a table featuring an interracial couple and two gay men, was uniquely positioned to absorb it. Unfortunately, before we even finished our leftover pizza the next day, a whole different narrative of Paradis began to emerge. This one? Ugly and dangerous.
To be clear, I didn't witness the next day's incident, when a man of color was allegedly asked not to return to the space, based on his conversations with friends. Was it just a gross misunderstanding? Perhaps. But if so, why hightail to Fox and Friends, for a three-minute national spot that seemed less about righting wrongs and more about hard selling your book. It all just felt self-serving to me. But in a weird way, it all made complete sense. Because in my new home state of Florida, using shock value to create a name for yourself IS the playbook, especially in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging space.
Ironically, the first topic at our Paradis dinner was the Florida Department of Education's rejection of the College Board's AP African American History class. "I'm embarrassed to be a Floridian," said our friend. And if I'm incredibly honest, same. I chose to move to Miami three years ago, for many reasons, but a huge motivating factor was how my wife and I always felt welcomed here. Celebrated even. That part is still true, at least in South Florida. The harder issue for me is as an African American man with a passion to create social change, is finding myself in a state proudly described by the governor as, "Where woke goes to die." Our 'leaders?' Astoundingly committed to this motto.
In addition to last week's African American History class debacle, Florida has already done much to isolate and exclude marginalized voices under this mode of 'governance.' There's the Stop WOKE Act, limiting the ways systemic racism and sex discrimination can be addressed in schools or workplace trainings. The 'Don't Say Gay' Bill, effectively ending discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity prior to grade three in Florida schools. There's the recent memo of the governor's Policy and Budget Office requiring state colleges and universities to provide names of all staff, programs and campus activities related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Critical Race Theory, along with the amount of funding provided by the state. And that's before we even get into the blatant redistricting of Florida's congressional districts to make them more favorable to promoting this madness.
Major accomplishments? Guess so. If your objective is to win by cheating and muzzle your population. Huge victory if your aim is to invest in the future by creating an educational system of linear thinkers. Or maybe you don't really care about your constituents at all. Maybe you're just incredibly self-serving, trying to create the biggest buzz possible, to propel yourself to higher office. But here's the thing. The political system may have decided, without our input, that all Floridians are not only conservatives, but bigots. But we know that's not true. These radical conservative voices, who have chosen to define us, are just louder. So, for you, my fellow rational (and frustrated) Floridians, I've got some suggestions:
1) Embrace, support and patronize businesses like Paradis Books & Bread, who are not only willing to stand up against intolerance, but already had a written policy in place to address harm -- long before controversy visited.
2) Step up local businesses, big and small, and take Paradis B&B's lead. Address DEI issues within your organizations. Create a culture of inclusivity for both your workers and patrons. Be on the right side of history.
3) Refuse to remain silent to what you're seeing as an individual. Don’t be afraid to speak your truth whether it’s through person to person contact, social media posts or where you spend your money. You have power.
4) Educate yourself about the issues. Investigate the ideas the state is trying to ban. Absorb information from credible sources then connect with like minded people to make a difference in numbers. Push back against anything that doesn't feel authentic. Repeat.
5) Register to vote. Then vote. Every. Single. Time. All elections are important. If they weren't Florida wouldn't keep trying to make it harder (or confusing) for its citizens to exercise this fundamental civic right. If you vote by mail, renew your request today. It expired at the start of 2023. (Yeah. Another law.) Also, spread the word.
Many Florida legislators want you to think the majority of Florida residents, your neighbors, support these assaults on basic freedoms. They want you to believe your voice is not loud enough to make a difference. They want you to question the incredible collective power we have together, as a community, who wants better for our state. I believe we, the people, are so much better than this current climate. We have the power to change this pathetic narrative from 'Where Woke Goes To Die' to 'Where Woke Goes to Multiply.' Won't you join me?
Andre M. Brown is a Miami based DEI coach, consultant and founder of Racial Just Us.