JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Students in high school and college all over Florida walked out of class on Friday to protest the state’s education policies, which are changing quickly.
Students from more than 300 high schools and colleges in Florida signed up to take part in the project. Students at two schools in Duval County, Florida, wanted to protest on campus, but they weren’t allowed to do so on Friday because they didn’t tell their teachers or get permission from the superintendent, which are both needed for students to protest on a school property.
Supporters from all over the state called the protest “Walkout 2 Learn,” and they said that the new education policies limit lessons about race, sexuality, and gender.
News4JAX was told that the organizers are also trying to get their friends to get more involved and do something.
Cameron Driggers is a senior at Flagler-Palm Coast High School. During his time there, he has helped organize student protests.
“Students have to take learning outside of the classroom into their own hands,” Driggers said. “That’s what we did today.” “Students aren’t just showing up; they’re also doing things to make sure their voices are heard and action is taken.”
The Social Equity Through Education Alliance is in charge of Zander Moricz.
“Students are scared, and our leaders are making them even more scared. And that’s terrible. And the Florida government and our school board are to blame,” said Moricz.
“This action is a recognition that most protests and walkouts are a great way to put pressure on a government that cares about what its people want and need, but ours does not. Our governor is talking to our lawmakers right now. And no matter how much we beg and plead with them, they don’t care.”
The purpose of the protest is to change the rules.
There are also plans for four more protests in different parts of the state, including one on Friday night at A. Philip Randolph Heritage Park in Jacksonville.
At the Florida State Capitol on Thursday, lawmakers joined the activist group “Walkout to Learn” to protest the Parental Rights in Education Law, also called the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by its critics.
The suggested law would make the current law that bans lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity apply to all school levels. The State Board of Education has already done this.
Several Democratic leaders, like Jacksonville Rep. Angie Nixon, backed the protest on Friday.
Nixon said, “Republicans say that they hate pop culture.” “But they are the ones who are trying to get rid of cultures. They want to shut down our neighborhoods. They want to stop our kids, who are our children, from being able to learn real history, such as Black history, LGBTQ history, trans history, our history, and American history.
At an event in Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis talked about the Parental Rights in Education Law.
DeSantis said, “Gender ideology has no place in our K–12 school system.” “It’s wrong for a teacher to tell a student that they might have been born in the wrong body or that their gender is a choice, so we don’t let that happen in Florida.”
The groups are also looking at two other pieces of legislation: the Individual Freedom Act, which used to be called the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” and the ban on DEI programs at state schools.
How public schools and companies can talk about race and gender is limited by the Individual Freedom Act. Because DEI classes aren’t allowed at state colleges, schools can’t pay for programs that work on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Parents and kids got together at A. Phillip Randolph Park after school for a gathering.
Angie Nixon, a state representative, had a warning for the young people of Generation Z.
Nixon said, “I want you all to know that we’re proud of you and that you’re showing that you have the power to protect your identities, to demand that we respect your pronouns, to take back your education, and to have a say in who makes the laws in this state.”
Students from the LaVilla School of the Arts said they went to the protest because they wanted to get the word out.
“I kind of want to get more people, especially young people, to come out and really use their voices and practice. Because if you want this to work, it will take a lot of people,” Nyah McLaughlin said.
“Everyone has the right to an equal education. “Everyone is a person, and everyone deserves the same treatment,” Lydia Jones told News4JAX.
