The state of Florida isn’t well known for having progressive values, nor is it known for upholding equality. However, this reputation didn’t develop overnight. Florida’s resistance to desegregation after Brown v. Board was deliberate and rooted in a long history of defending white supremacy. It runs further down in the hidden archives of whitewashed history books.
History is often erased from history books, making Brown v. Board seem like it was the definitive end of segregation. However, this is not the truth, especially not for Florida.
The Brown v. Board of Education court decision of 1954 overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine, essentially making the segregation of public schools unconstitutional. However, in the late spring of 1954, after this law had been passed, Florida was one of the four states that had yet to integrate their schools. Instead of compliance with the federal government, Florida turned to resistance.
As of 1956, Florida, along with neighboring southern states, had used their outrage with the federal government’s decision as fuel to take political actions. Florida decided to use the tool of interposition, a tactic used before by the South, to “protect” the southern citizens from the new federal law. This period was known as the “Massive Resistance Movement” against the Brown decision.
In Florida, the term “interposition” is historically known to refer to the state-based constitutional tool that allows a state legislature to formally protest the action of the national government if it deems it unconstitutional. Florida did this to place their laws between their citizens and the federal government as “protection.”
This concept came into work during the 1950s as a response to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. The Florida legislature passed an interposition resolution to challenge the court’s decision of the integration of schools. Their argument was that it went against state sovereignty and that it threatened the culture of Florida.
Governor Leroy Collins was the governor of Florida during this era. Collins publicly distanced himself from the radical views of the South’s resistance movement. He was also public about his disagreement with the interposition movement. He stated that he viewed it as a threat to constitutionality. Collins was careful not to directly promise to “maintain segregation.” He resisted rapid integration and aimed for a “moderate” approach but never aggressively defended segregation like other governors. Collin’s belief in slow progress and his hesitation to fight against segregation allowed Florida’s racist policies to persist.
The state also backed the infamous “Southern Manifesto,” or, as they called it, “The Declaration of Constitutional Principles.” This declaration was signed by various lawmakers. This manifesto stated that they were pledged to use “all lawful means” to overturn or reverse the decision to integrate the schools. In this declaration, Florida declared that the topic of public education was a state issue under the 10th Amendment. Essentially, they claimed that the federal government had no authority to tell them to integrate public schools.
The interposition movement was ultimately rejected by the federal government and deemed unconstitutional. However, the damage was already done. Though the movement did not end up carrying any constitutional power, the message was clear. Florida would fight against desegregation and equality as long as it could. The resistance delayed progress and equality, and it revealed the state’s deep animosity towards Black Americans.
Florida was not just late to integration; it was actively working to stop it and fighting against progressiveness. The interposition movement was more than symbolic. It was Florida’s deliberate strategy to continue racial inequality under the law. The legacy of the interposition movement lingers in the educational system today. The mere sanitization of history should be the first giveaway.
