For years, descendants of people who suffered the racist attacks in Rosewood and Ocoee have been able to attend college for free, through state-funded scholarships created by the Florida Legislature.
A Florida official tells SA国际传谋 those scholarships will continue, even as state schools are banned from using public funds on programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
鈥淎ll scholarships created and funded by the Florida Legislature will continue,鈥� said Cassandra Edwards, the Director of Communications for the State University System of Florida.
Democratic State Sen. Geraldine Thompson's district in Orange County includes Ocoee. She says the scholarships for descendants of Rosewood and Ocoee are meant to help restore what was taken from Black families who were driven out of their homes.
鈥淭here was no generational wealth that was passed on to the descendants of the victims,鈥� Thompson said.
鈥淭his is a long-term investment in people to say if you, if your family, your ancestors were victims of these atrocities in the state of Florida, here's an opportunity. Here's a way to give you a leg up.鈥�
A 鈥榤odel鈥� for reparations
of Florida students have received free tuition to go to the state鈥檚 public colleges and universities because of the racist violence their families suffered.
The burning of the predominantly Black town of in 1923 and the Election Day attacks on Black voters in in 1920 are among the darkest chapters in the state鈥檚 history.
At least eight people died at Rosewood. It鈥檚 not known how many died in Ocoee, though some estimates put the number as high as 60, according to the . In both instances, white mobs set fire to homes and forced Black residents out of their communities.
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The Florida Legislature created the in 1994, following a into the burning of the town in Levy County. was known as a prosperous community, with churches, general stores, a masonic hall and a community baseball team 鈥� the Rosewood Stars 鈥� until white vigilantes burned the town down.
Through the scholarship fund, each year up to 50 qualifying students who are descendants of Rosewood families can receive $6,100, (comparable to the cost of for one year) to attend Florida鈥檚 public colleges and universities.
The program is seen as a national for reparations for racist violence perpetrated against Black families, according to reporting by the and the .
鈥淩osewood was the model,鈥� Dr. Maxine Jones told the Religion News Service.
Jones is a Florida State University history professor and was the principal investigator of the state-commissioned on the incident.
In 2021, the Florida Legislature created a similar scholarship fund for descendants of victims of the Ocoee massacre, in which a white mob terrorized the Black community after a Black man showed up at the polls to vote.
As with the Rosewood scholarship, each year up to of the Ocoee Election Day Riots 鈥� or current Black residents of the city 鈥� can get $6,100 to cover their in-state tuition.
Thompson is now working to the Ocoee scholarship to allow students to use it at private historically Black colleges and universities, not just public institutions. Florida only has one public HBCU, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
鈥淲ith the DEI prohibitions, some of the students do not feel comfortable on some of our campuses,鈥� she said. 鈥淕iving them now this option, if they choose to attend an HBCU and to receive the scholarship, I think is a step in the right direction.鈥�
State boards ban use of taxpayer funds to support DEI on campus
The scholarship programs are notable at a time when officials in Florida and other states are working to restrict the teaching of American history and the country鈥檚 track record of racism and discrimination.
Earlier this month, the state boards overseeing Florida鈥檚 public colleges and universities formally the use of state or federal funds to promote diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus. The regulations codify a that Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023.
The defines DEI as 鈥渁ny program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification."
A spokesperson for Florida鈥檚 university system told SA国际传谋 that 鈥淸a]ll scholarships鈥� created and funded by the Legislature 鈥渨ill continue," pointing to a carveout in the regulation for 鈥減rograms, campus activities, or functions required for compliance with general or federal laws or regulations.鈥�
Florida's Office of Student Financial Assistance oversees a slate of taxpayer-funded scholarships created by state lawmakers to benefit students from minority communities and marginalized backgrounds.
Besides the Ocoee and Rosewood scholarships, funding is also available for "African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and Native American students" through the program. Students of Hispanic origin can also qualify for the .
鈥淚t does seem inconsistent,鈥� Thompson told SA国际传谋. 鈥淏ut I'm glad that we are honoring the scholarships.鈥�
Students can get more information on the state's scholarships and grant programs .
