FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2025
President Julie Kent, Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW
ORLANDO, FL — The Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) proudly joins the National Urban League in declaring a Civil Rights State of Emergency in Florida, in response to the wave of policy, legislative and budgetary assaults targeting Black communities, women, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and other marginalized Floridians.
“This isn’t politics—it’s policy violence,” said Julie Kent, President of FL NOW. “From classroom censorship threatening scientific understanding and distorting historical truth to funding cuts undermining access to mental health and maternal care, our basic rights and protections are increasingly at risk. We stand in fierce solidarity with the Urban League in saying: ENOUGH. This is about all of us losing our civil rights. White middle class voters must stand up for their neighbors and friends to change this trajectory.”
FL NOW points to recent vetoes and budget decisions that reflect a dangerous pattern of erasure and exclusion:
- Elimination of funding for the Florida Museum of Black History
- Closure of LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline
- Cuts to eviction prevention services, childcare grants, and women’s workforce training programs
- Defunding of public media and community education initiatives
- Defunding scientific and medical research related to women’s health, such as Black Maternal Mortality, Uterine Fibroid, Ovarian Cancer Detection, Substance Use Disorder in Women, etc.
- Deep cuts to the Department of Education which directly impacts public schools and disproportionally harms marginalized communities
The total abandonment and dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, processes, policies, and practices ensures that civil rights will no longer be addressed. These attacks are not isolated—they form a coordinated effort to roll back the clock on civil rights and community progress.
“This is a crisis of conscience and a call to action,” said Debbie Deland, Vice President of FL NOW. “Women of color, especially Black women, are bearing the brunt of this harm. We can’t accept this harm to women. We expect better of America.”
FL NOW is mobilizing its statewide chapters to:
- Amplify local campaigns and civil rights declarations
- Demand legislative accountability, budget, and policy reversals
- Host briefings on intersectional civil rights
“We will not be silenced, sidelined, or sacrificed,” FL NOW declared. “Florida’s future depends on our refusal to normalize this injustice. Florida’s future success is dependent on honoring all peoples civil rights and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
FL NOW calls on all social justice organizations, elected officials, and Florida residents to join this united front. The emergency is real—and so is our resolve.
For Contact: Debbie Deland, Vice President FL NOW, 407 234-6408; dcdeland@att.net