State Senator Blaise Ingoglia Proposes Discriminatory Constitutional Amendment Banning Reparations
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - On November 27, 2023, Florida State Senator Blaise Ingoglia, who represents District 11 (covering Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter counties, and part of Pasco county), introduced Senate Joint Resolution 582 “to prohibit the state, a county, a municipality, or any other political subdivision from paying reparations to certain individuals.” This resolution proposes an amendment to the State Constitution that expressly bans “compensation in the form of reparations to an individual who is a descendant of an enslaved individual who lived in the United States before December 6, 1865.” If passed, this proposed amendment (Section 33 of Article X) would be placed on the ballot at the next general election or at an earlier special election for the voters to decide.
Florida Freedmen Advocacy Center (FLFAC) asserts that this resolution is blatantly discriminatory in that it clearly targets Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved in the United States. As written, this amendment would not ban reparations or monetary forms of restitution made by the State of Florida or its political subdivisions for any reason altogether. It would only prevent reparations from being made to those of a certain identity: American Freedmen. Such an amendment would put the Florida State Constitution in direct conflict with the United States Constitution, abridging the First Amendment right of U.S. citizens “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” and flagrantly violate the Fourteenth Amendment right of Freedmen descendants to “the privileges and immunities of citizens” and “equal protection of the laws.” Senator Ingoglia notably highlights December 6, 1865, the date on which the Thirteenth Amendment (which abolished slavery) was ratified. These violations are particularly egregious because the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth “Reconstruction” Amendments were expressly written to secure the citizenship rights of American Freedmen. Ironically, the grievances for which reparations or redress may be sought are due to the violation of Constitutional rights and protections to begin with.
FLFAC urges all Floridians and all Americans who value the provisions of the U.S. Constitution to stand unified against such measures seeking to abridge the rights and privileges of U.S. citizens.
About Florida Freedmen Advocacy Center, Inc (FLFAC): The mission of Florida Freedmen Advocacy Center, Inc. is to educate Floridians on the historic challenges and present statistical realities facing Black Americans who descend from persons formerly enslaved in the United States, and to promote the sustainability of Black American heritage communities in Florida through historic preservation, civic education, and economic development. We aim to unite citizens, policy makers, and change agents to develop sustainable solutions to persistent community challenges through nonpartisan outreach and advocacy. Visit www.flfac.org for more information.
