University of South Florida students protested Monday to ensure vulnerable communities are protected in the midst of Gov. DeSantis’s push for change in state colleges.
Protesters gathered outside of the University of South Florida’s busy student center to demand that the university protects students from Governor DeSantis’s recent attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Students like Joseph Charry aren’t satisfied with the school’s progress.
“Historically, USF has just done nothing to protect diversity attacks, even without Ron DeSantis attacking them—so now that he’s attacking them, we should expect them to do more than they have previously,” Charry told WMNF.
In 2020, all members of USF’s diversity committee for the College of Arts and Sciences resigned after discontent with the school administration’s lack of transparency.
“We fear that students won’t feel safe in their own universities and that the university and the administration would maybe turn hostile to them just because they’re from diverse backgrounds.” Charry says.
Protesters encouraged students and the community to make their voices heard when fighting unjust legislation.
