Latest news with #FreedomSummer
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FDOT says raising of Main Street Bridge was not intended to stop Pride March
We're getting new answers from the Florida Department of Transportation on why the Main Street Bridge was raised ahead of a planned Pride March on Sunday. The bridge lighting battle has been going on for at least two years, after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all state-run bridges be lit red, white and blue last year for the so-called Freedom Summer. The move prevented cities like Jacksonville from lighting some bridges in rainbow colors for Pride month. In response, protestors in 2024 held their own lighting of the Main Street Bridge using flashlights. This year, after FDOT announced all state run bridges would again be lit red, white, and blue for the county's 250th birthday, Pride activists wanted to repeat last year's Main Street Bridge lighting. But an hour before they'd been told they would need to clear off the bridge ahead of scheduled maintenance, the bridge was raised. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Hampton Ray with FDOT told Action News Jax the bridge was briefly lifted to get workers into position, and was lowered after marchers had already moved on. He claimed work still began at 9 p.m. as scheduled. 'We did have to have our crews in place. And this was performed every single night from Thursday night till actually Monday evening. Crews were performing this same high lift from between 7:30 and 8:30 in order to access the point,' Ray said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] In response to the explanation given by FDOT, March Organizer Matt McAllister sent Action News Jax this statement: 'I thank Mr. Ray for his detailed and professional explanation. Given our intention to fully comply with 9:00 pm scheduled closure, the 20 minute delay would have made it impossible to place 146 people in precise locations to shine for 20 minutes and then safely and completely evacuate the bridge. When we asked city officials if our 8:00 pm entrance would, for any reason, be impeded, we were assured it would not be,' McAllister said. 'In the end, the bureaucratic lemons served to us made a particularly sweet lemonade. It was important to return Pride lighting, however briefly, to its rightful place on the Acosta Bridge.' The FDOT spokesperson also said generally, it's helpful for groups to have permits to ensure situations like this can be avoided. McAllister noted permits are not required for gatherings in public spaces with fewer than 500 participants. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pride lights, and most other colors, no longer allowed on Florida bridges
No matter what the cause or its associated color, lighting a state bridge to recognize it is now against Florida policy — with, of course, a big patriotic exception. In a policy quietly adopted in February and playing out around the state this Memorial Day weekend, the Florida Department of Transportation says lighting on state-managed bridges 'shall be a default scheme of red, white and blue' and 'limited to the recognition, commemoration and or promotion of government holidays.' It effectively makes a standard practice out of the 'Freedom Summer' lighting rule declared by FDOT last year. And it squelches, without express state permission, options such as rainbow colors for LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, or even orange for National Gun Violence Awareness Month, also in June, or red in September for Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Recent history suggests that special permission for some causes would be tough to get. Last year's freedom summer declaration came about after the state overruled a practice in Tampa of deploying rainbow lighting during Pride Month. For three years the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay had sported such lighting, but in 2024 a Manatee County Commissioner objected. In prior years, creative bridge lighting had been fairly common in some locales. In 2016 the Central Florida Expressway Authority lit up the Lake Underhill Bridge on State Road 408 in Orlando with rainbow colors after the June 16 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub. CFX — created by the state in 2014 — said by email that it follows the city of Orlando's specialty lighting schedule. However, the city has no bridges or roads that it lights up in color for special occasions. Orlando does illuminate the Lake Eola fountain, City Hall and public art displays. The city's specialty lighting schedule includes red, white and blue illumination for Memorial Day. Orlando also used specials colors for other occasions such as red on Nurse's Day (May 6) and pink, purple and yellow on Mothers Day (May 12). Tatiana Quiroga, executive director of Come out with Pride Orlando which is behind the city's LGTBQ + parade and the region's biggest celebration, said her organization has never made any special lighting requests of the state. Quiroga said the city uses rainbow lights at the Lake Eola fountain for the Pride celebration. She said Orange County and the city have a long history of supporting Pride. 'We have a great relationship with the city but it speaks volumes that we don't have one with the state,' Quiroga said. 'It illustrates a lack of support from the state for LGBTQ. 'They don't support pride but also what happens to the breast cancer community who want pink lights or showing support for the immigrant community or the Black community?' she asked. The holidays stipulated by the state are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The state has approved at least one exception to its policy so far: In the city of Sarasota, the community requested aqua blue as the default color on the Ringling Bridge when it isn't lit up in red, white and blue for the holidays observed by the state. With permission, those colors lit up the bridge earlier this month. FDOT said the policy is part of the Salute to America 250 Task Force, a group created by President Donald Trump that's planning a full year of festivities starting Memorial Day and running through July 4, 2026 — when the U.S. celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed. In a post on X, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said state bridges and highways will be lit with red, white and blue beginning Friday through 2026 'in commemoration of #America250.' 'Doing so reinforces how lucky we are to live in the Free State of Florida, USA,' Perdue said in the post. The Tampa Bay Times contributed to this report
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FDOT bans custom bridge lighting on state-owned bridges
The Brief State-owned bridges across Florida will no longer light up in support of various causes, following a new policy from the Florida Department of Transportation. Under the new rules, bridges can only be lit in red, white, and blue to mark federal holidays. It expands a policy first put in place last year as part of FDOT's "Freedom Summer" initiative, which covered Memorial Day through Labor Day. TAMPA, Fla. - The Sunshine Skyway Bridge and other state-owned bridges across Florida will no longer light up in support of various causes, following a new policy from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). In recent years, the iconic bridge has been lit up with rainbow colors during Pride Month or with blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine, and dozens of other causes throughout the year. But now, those colorful displays are gone for good — at least through 2026. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Big picture view FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue announced the decision this week, stating in a tweet: "FDOT is proud to showcase patriotic colors on our state bridges and highways beginning this Friday through 2026." Under the new rules, bridges can only be lit in red, white, and blue to mark federal holidays. That expands a policy first put in place last year as part of FDOT's "Freedom Summer" initiative, which covered Memorial Day through Labor Day. What they're saying St. Pete Pride President Byron Green-Calisch criticized the move, saying it erases visibility for many communities. READ: Pinellas County could bring Cross Bay Ferry service back by buying two of their own boats "Every set of colors that could be used to signal to other Floridians, 'hey, we see you, you belong here' — if that is breast cancer survivors, if that is people that celebrate Juneteenth... if that is people celebrating Pride — whatever that might be," he said. Green-Calisch believes the new policy sends the wrong message just weeks before Pride events begin. "Having colors displayed across the Skyway as this beacon of resilience and being able to highlight communities that are facing tough times is a moment to say, 'hey, wow, what better place to signal you can come back better. You are welcome here,'" he added. The other side However, not everyone disagrees with the decision. Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn supports the restriction, citing an overwhelming number of requests. MORE: 'Do Not Disturb' phone settings can save lives on the roads, experts say "I think the FDOT has made the right decision," he said. "The requests that were coming in were just… some of them were just really ridiculous. I just took a stand to say, look, the bridge should be lit for national holidays and that's it." FDOT did not respond to requests for comment about the specific reasons behind the policy change. For now, the Skyway Bridge and others like it will continue to shine — but only in red, white, and blue. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Evyn Moon. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Student leaders, alumni lambast Ohio State's DEI cuts as 'comfortable cowardice'
Several student groups and alumni associations are speaking out after Ohio State University announced last week that it would close two campus offices focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and eliminate more than a dozen staff positions as a result of Trump administration directives. Ohio State's Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change will have 60 days to sunset its programs and services starting from Feb. 28. The Office of Institutional Equity will also be renamed the Office of Civil Rights Compliance. Sixteen staff positions will be eliminated as part of the closures. The changes, announced Thursday by Ohio State President Ted Carter, come as a direct result of several mandates from the Trump administration to wipe DEI practices from colleges and universities. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members are expected to gather Tuesday at 1 p.m. on the Oval at Ohio State for a protest against the office closures and Ohio Senate Bill 1, a controversial higher education bill working its way through the Statehouse. In a "Dear Colleague" letter sent on Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education gave schools an ultimatum: Eliminate "race-based decision-making" from their campuses by the end of the month or risk losing federal funding. The Ohio Student Association — a statewide advocacy group with college chapters that focus on racial, economic and educational justice — responded with its own "Dear Admin" letter Monday. The letter, sent to all 14 Ohio public university presidents and boards of trustees, rebuked "anticipatory and gratuitous compliance to unjust politicized mandates" as "cowardly and morally reprehensible." "Your hands are not tied. These threats are not yet law, unenforceable, yet we watch our institutions fall like dominoes rolling back the clock on progress, bending the knee before they even have to," the letter read. "When you opt to keep your opposition behind closed doors, you are choosing comfortable cowardice, you are choosing safety for yourselves at the cost of your students, you are choosing complicity in grave injustice." Ohio universities have been the stage for multiple fights for civil rights. Miami University was the site for the 1964 Freedom Summer training, when students helped register Black voters in Mississippi. Kent State University was the first institution to recognize Black History Month in 1970, six years before it earned federal recognition. Students, the letter read, are looking to their universities "as Ohio becomes increasingly more hostile to them." "As you turn away, feelings of betrayal overwhelm students as our campuses become equally inhospitable," it read. Study up on education news: Subscribe to The Dispatch's weekly education newsletter Extra Credit The Ohio Student Association was not the only student group to speak out against the decision. Ohio State's Undergraduate Student Government President Bobby McAlpine and Vice President Justin Robinson issued a statement Friday calling the office closures "an undeniable step backward." "Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion are not just institutional initiatives," the statement read, "they are commitments to ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has access to the mentorship, scholarships, career opportunities and resources they need to thrive. "The removal of these programs is not just symbolic, it has real, harmful consequences for students across our campus." McAlpine and Robinson said they and other USG members will continue to fight for students' opinions to be heard by holding OSU's administration accountable and advocating at the Ohio Statehouse and in Washington, D.C. "This university is stronger because of its diverse student body, and we will not allow external pressures to dictate the values we uphold as a campus community," the statement read. Ohio State's Black Alumni Society President Chibundu Nnake penned a statement over the weekend on behalf of the organization also denouncing the decision. Nnake said the closure of these offices is both a "devastating blow" and "a significant step backward for our entire community." "The manner in which this decision was made — seemingly overnight, with minimal consultation with key stakeholders, including student groups, alumni, and the very staff impacted — is unacceptable and disrespectful," Nnake said. "It stands in stark contrast to the values of transparency, shared governance, and community engagement that Ohio State claims to uphold." Nnake noted the timing of the announcement, at the close of Black History Month, "demonstrates a profound lack of sensitivity and understanding of the impact on the Black community at Ohio State." Other flagship and land grant public universities, including those in states with political landscapes like Ohio, have chosen "different, less damaging paths," Nnake said. He pointed to the University of Michigan, University of Virginia, University of Texas and University of Florida as peer institutions that "have sought to comply with the letter of the law without abandoning the spirit of inclusion." "Ohio State's decision to be an outlier, taking the most drastic and damaging path, sends a chilling message about our priorities and where Black students, faculty, and staff stand within them," Nnake said. Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here. shendrix@ @sheridan120 This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State students, alumni denounce university DEI offices cuts
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
COFO Civil Rights Education Center
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – It was the epicenter of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Today, it sits as a museum and education center on the Jackson State University (JSU) campus. The Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) was founded in 1961. It was the brainchild of Civil Rights activist Bob Moses to allow Civil Rights organizations to operate under one umbrella in Mississippi. 'Fast Black History': TikTok creator educates viewers on culture, music 'He was here with SNICK, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. There were dozens of organizations that would make up for the other big. Three of those organizations included Dr. King's organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, called the Congress of Racial Equality, which had organized the freedom Rides and the NAACP Medgar Evers organization in Mississippi. It was unique to this state and to this place,' explained Dr. Robert Luckett, Jr., director of the JSU Margaret Walker Center. It wasn't until 1963 that the building on J.R. Lynch Street would become the home and serve as the state headquarters for the organization. 'And so 1963, 1964, during Freedom Summer, which would be organized out of this space in 1965, would really be the height of the activism that would take place in this room,' said Luckett. The COFO Civil Rights Education Center sits at the heart of the J.R. Lynch Street corridor and is open Monday through Friday for visitors. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
