In a new op-ed in the Tallahassee Democrat, former Congressman Al Lawson calls out Rick Scott’s close relationship with far-right political leader and Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, who has called the Civil Rights Act “a huge mistake” and attacked the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scott has appeared on Kirk’s podcast more than a dozen times, spoken at Turning Point conferences, and repeatedly praised Kirk as a “true patriot.” 

Click here to read the op-ed. See key excerpts below: 

• As a Black man raised in the segregated south, I lived the painful reality of Jim Crow. I know what it’s like to be denied basic rights because of my skin color.

• The Civil Rights Act, championed by leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., changed all that and opened doors for millions of Americans like me.

• The Civil Rights Act gave me the chance to thrive. That’s why I cannot stay silent while prominent far-right figures disparage the Civil Rights Act and elected leaders, including Sen. Rick Scott, refuse to call them out.

• Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, is one conservative voice that has crossed a dangerous line. Kirk has repeatedly called the Civil Rights Act a “huge mistake” and has led a campaign to discredit King’s legacy. 

• As a leader, I’m compelled to speak out against Kirk’s support from prominent Republicans, especially Florida’s own Rick Scott. 

• Scott and Kirk do not just run in the same circles. Scott has appeared on Kirk’s podcast more than a dozen times—the same podcast that has hosted white supremacists. Scott has also spoken at Turning Point’s conferences year after year and praised Kirk as a “true patriot.”

• This isn’t the leader Scott vowed to be when he ran for the Senate. He promised to represent all Floridians, including the more than 3 million Black residents of this state.

• Scott has broken that promise every time he stands alongside someone like Kirk.

• He can continue working closely with someone who promotes hateful, divisive rhetoric, or he can take a stand on the right side of history. 

• The Civil Rights Act and King’s legacy are pillars of our nation’s greatness. They should be celebrated, not attacked. Scott must reject Kirk and the destructive agenda he represents.