'Shameful': Black lawmaker, white lobbyist clash over FAMU, KKK and 'viewpoint diversity' bill

“If the KKK comes on FAMU campus, all hell is going to break loose,” the lawmaker said.


As lawmakers considered a bill on free speech on college campuses this week, a Black lawmaker and a white lobbyist faced off over the lobbyist's example of the Ku Klux Klan showing up on the campus of Florida A&M University — a historically Black university and the lawmaker's alma mater.

Lobbyist Barney Bishop was speaking in favor of the bill (HB 233) at a House committee meeting. It would require an annual survey of students about diversity of thought and limits on speech in the classroom and on campus.

But after Bishop, arguing for the bill's passage, used an example of the KKK at FAMU, state Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee, had had enough. Bishop said those that don't like certain speech should just "walk away" from it.

“For you to suggest that I should walk away from Florida A&M University for the original terrorist organization in this country is just shameful, Barney. It’s shameful,” said Alexander, also a former FAMU student government president.

Read more: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/19/rep-ramon-alexander-lobbyist-barney-bishop-clash-over-famu-kkk-free-speech-florida-legislature-bill/4499849001/