Alex Carson
Alex Carson is an Atlanta Georgia activist.
‘Down with DeSantis!’
On February 22, about 35 students, community members and faculty rallied on the front steps of the Student Union at Florida State University. The rally was organized by FSU’s chapter of Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (FSUSDS) in response to Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent attacks on diversity programs and multicultural studies.
Attendees chanted “Money for schools and education, not for racist legislation!” “Education is liberation!” and “Black education matters!”
According to their official statement, FSUSDS has four primary demands for Florida State: One, the protection and expansion of all multicultural studies; two, the increase of Black student enrollment and professors; three, the protection of transgender students and athletes; and four, opposing DeSantis and his requests and recommendations.
In the past few weeks, DeSantis has made attacking DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs one of his top priorities. FSUSDS has held several rallies against his actions and policies in the past few months, such as his recent investigations into transgender university students and the denial of AP African American History for high school students.
Jason Carles, representing FSUSDS, drew attention to this, telling the crowd, “Less than two weeks ago we had a very similar protest with the same demands,” and “It’s disappointing that DeSantis keeps pushing this issue but as long as we are here, we’re going to fight back against it.”
While groups like FSUSDS have kept the fight going, the movement cannot and will not stop with just one event. Kaela Braxton, president of FSU’s Black Law Student Association, stressed the need for student advocacy and activism: “As students it shouldn't be our job to educate our leaders on why diversity, equity and inclusion is so important, but we have to make it our job if we want to preserve DEI initiatives on campus and keep [campus] a safe and welcoming environment for all students.”
Students expressed messages of hope and dedication to the ongoing struggle. Alex Carson, vice president of FSUSDS and organizer for FRSO, noted, “When FSU refused to get rid of the statue of slave owner Francis Eppes, SDS did not stop organizing and mobilizing students and community members in the fight to have it removed. Students like us fighting is the only reason it got taken down. The battle for education will be no different - in order to defeat the DeSantis agenda, we need a sustained movement built by as many students as possible!”
FSUSDS fought for more than five years to have the statue of slave owner Francis Eppes removed from campus. It was finally taken off of campus in the summer of 2020.
The February 22 event was cosponsored by several groups, including the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), Veg FSU, FSU Student Farmworker Alliance (SFA), the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), Food Not Bombs (FNB), Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).[1]
Reproductive rights march
Tallahassee, FL – On September 7 2022, Florida State University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a march in defense of women’s and reproductive rights, following the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. More than 40 students attended the march from the Legacy Fountain to the Integration Statue, accompanied by chants like “We won’t go back! We will fight back!”
FSU SDS treasurer Zeke Greenwood said, “This is an important time for students and members of the community to come together to organize and fight for what we need, because conservatives are continuing their attacks on bodily autonomy for women, trans and non-binary people.”
Alex Carson, from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization - Tallahassee (FRSO) stated, “Almost two-thirds of abortions are obtained by African American, Chicano and other oppressed nationality women. Removing the right to abortion would worsen national oppression in the United States.” He continued, “The right to abortion access, like all the other rights working people in the U.S. have, was won through mass struggle. Only mass struggle will save it.”[2]