Fred Hearns, the curator of Black History at the Tampa Bay History Center, discusses some of Tampa’s forgotten, neglected and buried past.
Activists call for release after Leonard Peltier positive for COVID-19
Read MoreReport on St. Pete's policing shows disproportionate impact for Black residents
Read MoreDesmond Meade: Next up for Rights Restoration group is "Ban the Box"
Read MoreUpdate: felony charges dropped against BLM activists accused of striking officer during protest
Read MoreBLM protestor accused of striking officer during protest rejects plea deal
Read MoreFlorida state and federal legislators call on U.S. Senate to pass John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act
Read MoreFlorida’s HB1 protest law gets date set for first legal test
Read MoreBipartisan bills address environment, education, robocalls and more
Read MoreDeSantis signs trans girls sports ban on first day of LGBTQ Pride month, protests and legal challenges swiftly follow
Read MoreSt. Pete activists honor George Floyd with calls for more police reform on anniversary of his murder
Read MoreMore than 100 Florida elected officials sign letter opposing trans youth sports ban
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Nikki Fried: Florida is no longer a free state under DeSantis
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried blasted Gov. Ron DeSantis’s private signing of a controversial new election law Thursday. LISTEN: She said Florida is no longer a free state under the Governor and likened his use of Fox News to that of authoritarian regimes. Fried’s criticism comes after DeSantis barred the general public and local media from… Read more »

Legislature revives, passes trans girl sports ban prompting fierce backlash
Florida’s ban on transgender girls participating on girl’s teams died in the senate two weeks ago, but was revived and passed by both chambers late Wednesday as an amendment to a different bill. Members of the trans community now say Florida’s posturing to corporations and catering to a shrinking base is gambling with children’s lives…. Read more »

At vigil for George Floyd guilty verdict is far cry from justice
One day after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of George Floyd’s murder, mourners gathered in Tampa to honor Floyd’s memory. But the solemn moment was undercut by the feeling that the guilty verdict was a far cry from justice. LISTEN: More than a moment Standing in a circle at the center of Tampa’s Gaslight Park,… Read more »

Two more police shootings leave two more Black Americans dead less than a day after Derek Chauvin found guilty
LISTEN: Less than 24 hours after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, two more Black Americans have been killed by police. Ma’Khia Bryant, 16 Police in Columbus Ohio shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant Tuesday. The shooting was reported just as the verdict was being announced in the… Read more »

DeSantis espouses debunked rumors, misinformation while signing HB1 into law
On Monday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis used debunked rumors and misinformation to justify his HB1 bill. DeSantis signed the bill into law while flanked by a group of law enforcement officials and Republican legislators at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office headquarters. Listen: Depending on who you ask, HB1 is either an anti-riot bill or an… Read more »

- Civil Liberties
- Civil Rights
- Criminal Justice
- Justice System
- Law Enforcement
- News and Public Affairs
- State Government
As specter of HB1 looms, St. Pete protestors return to streets demanding justice for Daunte Wright
With the specter of Florida’s HB1 “anti-riot” bill looming, protestors in St. Pete returned to the streets Friday to demand justice for Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man killed by police in a Minneapolis Suburb, and others. Protestors didn’t know if the bill’s new restrictions on protesting would go into effect as they marched or… Read more »

DeSantis wants corporations out of Florida politics, but civic groups say ramp up the pressure on voting, protest bills
Gov. Ron DeSantis is lambasting the growing number of major corporations pushing back on Republican-backed legislation. But civic groups want those corporations and more to ramp up the pressure and fight bills targeting voting rights and protests. LISTEN: Will Smith is not filming his $100 million movie, Emancipation, in Georgia. The MLB will not hold… Read more »

- Civil Rights
- Corruption
- National Government
- News and Public Affairs
- State Government
- State Politics
- Voting Rights
Fair Districts Coalition hopes to avoid repeat of Florida’s contentious, gerrymandered 2012 redistricting
A group of civic organizations hopes to avoid a repeat of the 2012 redistricting debacle that led to numerous court battles and uncovered gerrymandering in the drawing of maps. The Fair Districts Coalition is calling on legislators to pledge they will have a fair, transparent and interactive redistricting process. LISTEN: Ellen Freidin helped lead the… Read more »

State Attorney, Supreme Court Justice, Sheriff say HB1 protest bill is unconstitutional affront on democracy
Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren joined a former Florida Supreme Court Justice and a former Sheriff Thursday in blasting the HB1 protest bill. The group called the bill an unconstitutional affront on democracy. No solutions, just more problems Of the 20 State Attorneys in Florida, Warren is one of the few who’s actually dealt… Read more »