August 3, 2023
On behalf of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, we express our strong disagreement and condemnation of Florida House Bill 7, branded "The Anti-Woke Act," proposed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and passed by the Florida Legislature. This law restricts how race is taught and discussed in Florida schools, colleges, and workplaces. The stated purpose of the "Anti-Woke Act" is to prevent students from feeling they bear personal responsibility for the wrongs of their ancestors because of race, color, sex, or national origin. Last week, the Governor DeSantis-controlled State Board of Education issued a new curriculum for teaching African American history. It requires that students learn that "slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied to their personal benefit" and that events such as the 1920 Ocoee Massacre and others included "acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans." The “Anti-Woke Act" and the new African American History Curriculum are intentional efforts to turn back time and reverse and end efforts to ensure equity and fairness in education and hiring for Blacks and people of color.
For most Americans, being "woke" means being informed, educated, and aware of social injustices, with the intent and seeking to correct and end these injustices. Governor DeSantis and far-right conservatives feel being "woke" is negative because it upsets white privilege, white male patriarchy, and classism and prevents America from being great again. They insist that racism, favoritism, gender bias, homophobia, and other ills do not exist in America. Governor DeSantis is so proud of what he is doing that his Presidential campaign is based on "making America like Florida." He arrogantly declared that "Florida is where woke comes to die."
The African Methodist Episcopal Church was born "woke." For 207 years, we have preached, taught, served, and fought for God's kingdom to come "on Earth as it is in Heaven." We take seriously our call to be God's "watchers," "to keep our people, especially our children and youth informed, educated, and aware." We demand that all American history be taught, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We will not be silent to this travesty.
We would prefer that our Quadrennial not be held in Florida, but because of the high economic loss, if we opted not to be here. God has designed our presence here in Florida. We did not want to be here, but we were here, we were woke, and we did not come here to die. We are disciples of Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life. And since we are here, we feel obligated to wake Governor DeSantis and others up from what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called "conscientious stupidity."
We refuse to stop being woke. Remaining woke is our commitment to our people and communities, especially our children. We will continue to preach, teach, advocate, vote, and organize to see that lies and misinformation don't go unanswered and that this current stupidity does not spread in Florida or across the nation. Respond now so that it does not hit your state, we must “stay woke.”
We have contacted the National Council of Churches, our ecumenical, social justice, and interfaith partners across the nation, to work for the repeal of HB 7 in Florida and the state's curriculum for African American History. We know that ignorance is not easy to dispel, but as we have overcome other efforts to turn back time, we will overcome these lies and demonic efforts. As we continue kingdom work, we will continue to pray for Governor DeSantis and those like him to be delivered and converted and that God will convert their understanding as recorded in Acts 17:26, "that out of one blood God has created all people to dwell on all the face of the earth."
Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Senior Bishop
Bishop Stafford J. Wicker, President Council of Bishops
Bishop Paul J. M. Kawimbe, President of the General Board
Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield, Chair of Social Action
Bishop Francine A Brookins, Co-Chair of Social Action
Dr. Deborah Taylor King, President of the International Women's Missionary Society
Dr. Jacquelyn DuPont Walker, Director of Social Action
