Black-owned businesses react to proposed NAACP travel advisory

Black-owned businesses are now speaking up against the Florida travel advisory proposed by the NAACP.

On Wednesday, WINK News told you the NAACP of Florida voted unanimously to seek permission to issue a travel advisory for the state over laws it says are excessively harsh for black people.  

NAACP of Florida believes that the black community is under attack in Florida. They want permission from national headquarters to issue a travel advisory, hoping black people looking to come to Florida will choose someplace else.

WINK News spoke with local business owner Vickie Jones, who thinks the decision depends on each person’s situation.

JonesEz BBQ is a staple in Fort Myers Shores. Vickie Jones owns the place and has served people along Palm Beach Boulevard since 2007.

“We’re well known in the area. We’re known for giving back to the community. We’re known for donating. We’re known for the restaurant. We have food trucks, so we’re just trying to be more community to anything,” said Jones.

JonesEz BBQ is not a member of the NAACP. Still, Jones knows how the Florida chapter unanimously voted to ask the national headquarters for permission to issue a travel advisory to Florida.

“To warn other blacks across the country to not come to Florida, not send your children to Florida, not vacation in Florida,” said James Muwakkil, the president of the Lee County NAACP.

Muwakkil said the travel advisory is necessary in the wake of what he called “Draconian” laws targeting African Americans, supported by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Muwakkil said if the travel advisory hurts black business owners like Jones, it will be a “Sacrifice.”

“Yeah, it’s new. And I just, I don’t have an opinion right now about it. The only thing I would say is that us, as blacks, we need to sit together. Everybody needs to be together as a community,” Jones said.

“This is a stunt to try to do that. It’s a pure stunt,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

On Thursday, the governor got the question about what he thinks of the NAACP’s plan to ask its national headquarters for permission to issue a travel advisory to Florida.

“It’s ridiculous. And we’re proud to be leading the nation in tourism,” said DeSantis.

If the NAACP does issue that travel advisory, it could hurt the people the organization says it represents.

Jones said she’s living the American dream here in Florida. “I’m established, I have a family business, I have, you know, pretty big business going on for myself and for my family.”

That does not mean she’s against any kind of travel advisory. She hasn’t made up her mind yet.

“As a black-owned business? I can’t say don’t come to Florida, because I am in Florida. And I like unity. I like community. I like for us to be together and have a voice,” said Jones.

As for the governor? He’s not worried. “We had huge, huge numbers of people coming, and it was really, really good. And so I think that that’s going to continue.”