Any Port in a Storm - Disney, Diversity and the Central Florida Tourism District
Central Florida Tourism District Logo
Abigail asked me to pass this along...
You may remember a few weeks ago when the District-Formerly-Known-As-Reedy-Creek, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, decided that they ought to abolish all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in the district.
To quote their own press release (https://www.rcid.org/pr-dei/) "The district’s DEI committee will be dissolved and any DEI job duties will be eliminated. CFTOD staff will also no longer be permitted to use any staff time to pursue DEI initiatives."
Now what does this mean? The district management is responsible for public construction projects: roads and water drainage and new public offices and whatnot. When vetting contractor bids, Reedy Creek used to give some preference in some cases to contractors that fell into a protected class. It's a fairly standard consideration given to this sort of thing in a lot of the U.S.. It does not mean that a company owned by people in one of these protected classes can charge a ton more money or get away with shoddy work. It just evens out the playing field in an industry that's had its share of nepotism and back-room deals and, well, racism.
Under DeSantis' cronies' watch, though, this will no longer stand! They have taken a bold stance against Diversity, Equity AND Inclusion as evidenced by the District Administrator, Glenton Gilzean's bold statement!
““The so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were advanced during the tenure of the previous board and they were illegal and simply unamerican,” said Administrator Gilzean. “Our district will no longer participate in any attempt to divide us by race or advance the notion that we are not created equal. As the former head of the Central Florida Urban League, a civil rights organization, I can say definitively that our community thrives only when we work together despite our differences.””
Now, let's roll back the clock a mere 97 weeks, when Administrator Gilzean was President and CEO of an organization known as The Central Florida Urban League and he posted this on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/CUpng50Ly_8/)
““As #education, #entrepreneurship, and #employment are the three pillars which guide the #CFUL, I am proud that Disney has expanded its efforts to help countless Black owned businesses and entrepreneurs through its supplier diversity program. They have also taken the lead in job training with their #DisneyAspire program, offering free college education to their hourly workers.””
Instagram post from Central Florida Urban League
My, my, my. Opinions do change when the dollar is coming from a different hand, don't they?
Administrator Glenton Gilzean
