Florida Black lawmakers protest DeSantis' congressional map

Black Florida lawmakers are staging a sit-in on the House floor to protest a congressional map pushed by Republican Ron DeSantis that they say will diminish the state’s Black representation in the U.S. House

Redistricting Congress Florida (Copyright 2022 the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Black Florida lawmakers staged a sit-in on the House floor Thursday to protest a congressional map pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that they say will diminish the state's Black representation in the U.S. House.

The DeSantis map would increase Florida’s GOP representation in Florida and dismantles two districts now held by Black members of Congress.

As debate on the maps was nearing an end, Reps. Angie Nixon and Tray McCurdy opened up their suit jackets to display “Stop The Black Attack” T-shirts and shouted the same phrase. They sat on the state seal in front of the House speaker's rostrum and were soon joined by other other Black Democrats and other supporters.

The Republican-led chamber called a recess, all Republican lawmakers left the floor and the state Florida Channel stopped broadcasting the proceedings.

“This is good trouble! Necessary trouble!” Nixon shouted, echoing a phrase used by the late civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis.

The group sang “We Shall Overcome” and prayed. Some members went on Facebook to do live feeds of the protest. Nixon said in a text message to The Associated Press that the lawmakers would not leave the floor unless they were physically removed.

The Legislation was in special session to approve a new congressional map after DeSantis vetoed the maps lawmakers sent him. Republican leaders took a map from DeSantis instead of trying again to draw their own.