Members of the James Weldon Johnson Branch of ASALH have been very vocal in opposition to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis drawing maps when it is the responsibility of the Florida Legislature. Following is a quote from the Washington Post article printed February 11, 2022: George Gillis, 76, who serves as chairman of the deacons at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville, said he is concerned about DeSantis’s motives for slicing up the district where he lives and prays. Under DeSantis’s plan, Black voters in the district would be dispersed among four Republican seats, all currently represented by White conservatives.
“A lot of Black people turned out to vote, and now the governor is looking for ways to turn that around. I have a feeling he’s looking at a presidential run, and he has this new map that he thinks could help him,” Gillis said. “He’s trying to rig the system, to put it very bluntly.”
The full article can be found here.