We will explore the history of black suffrage in America with a focus on the State of the Black vote in Florida. We will highlight new legislation (SB 8, HB 6505) that would require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots. The same bill would also provide relief to the descendants of the victims of the riots. November 2, 1920 several African Americans in Ocoee, including Moses Norman, tried to vote in the presidential election but 100 white men formed and marched to homes, shooting and killing people. This personal look at black suffrage in Florida will blend with a conversation surrounding the current voting conditions in the state. Some of the topics will include, but not limited to, voter disenfranchisement, the political battle over amendment four, voter education and accessibility.
GUESTS:
- State Rep. Geraldine Thompson [D] District 44, Orlando
- State Rep. Byron Donalds [R] District 80, Naples