Now they are coming for Louisiana. The NAACP is considering issuing a travel advisory to its members if they plan on going to Louisiana. The reason is the same as the one the organization used against Florida – state legislation that they deem to target and marginalize specific groups, such as African-Americans, members of the alphabet brigade, and those who exercise their right to free speech.

It’s the Louisiana chapter of the NAACP that is doing this. They want it to be clear that they are not advising against traveling to the state but that they want to “inform” travelers about what they may face. Yeah, ok, NAACP. We see you. They can’t be as brazen as the board of directors of the NAACP that did its stupid travel advisory on Florida – when the chair of the organization has a home in Florida – because Louisiana, like Florida, depends on the tourism industry. Imagine the backlash by regular Louisianans if the chapter went balls to the wall and demanded a true travel advisory. All of the small businesses and the large ones, too, that depend on tourism would be outraged. It’s not just New Orleans that would be affected. The tourism industry works throughout the state. The state has grown opportunities for the film industry, too.

The Florida advisory read, in part, “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.” An advisory for Louisiana would likely be similar.

The Louisiana state conference of the NAACP cited several pieces of pending legislation they considered hostile to Black and LGBTQ+ communities. The legislation calls for changes to administration of voting, calls for review of educational materials related to Black and LGBTQ+ topics, prohibits public school educators from discussing sexual orientation, and bans gender-affirming care for transgender patients under 18.

Got that? They cite legislation that hasn’t even been signed into law. They cite election integrity reforms, protecting young children from inappropriate material in the classroom, and requiring patients to be 18 before going through life-changing elective medical procedures in order to transition to the opposite gender. All of those priorities are completely in line with how regular people think about issues. The far-left can change around the words and try to make legislation be what it isn’t but the truth is the truth. It is like in Florida when activists began calling the bill in Florida the don’t say gay bill and everyone picked up on doing that, though the word ‘gay’ doesn’t even appear in the bill. When a power base is feeling threatened, the gloves come off.

This potential travel advisory for Louisiana is the same thing. The truth is that the NAACP is dependent on maintaining the very little power they have by stoking racial anxiety. The NAACP was once considered a leader in the civil rights movement. Now it has been reduced to race-baiting grifting to raise money and try to remain in operation. The organization should heed the experience by Black Lives Matter. That organization rose up and thrived on racial division. All the Democrats fell in line to support it, as did many others. Liberal white guilt is a powerful motivator. The problem is that so many of their stories about alleged bad behavior toward black Americans proved to be false. And regular Americans rebelled against the anti-cop rhetoric coming from BLM. The pendulum is swinging back to a more reasonable time now. Support has waned, especially since stories have been published about its corruption and financial mishandling of contributions.

In an interesting split-screen, New Orleans & Company, the destination marketing organization for the City of New Orleans, re-launched a 2019 program aimed at asking local businesses to actively welcome LGBTQ+ patrons (as well as those of all backgrounds and identities). The initiative includes a training program for businesses on inclusion, and distributes “Everyone’s Welcome Here” rainbow flag stickers to adorn storefronts.

New Orleans Mayor La Toya Cantrell also affirmed her city’s commitment to welcoming diversity in the famously freewheeling city. “Whether as a community organizer, a City Councilmember or as Mayor, I have been steadfast in my commitment to serve all people regardless of who they are, or who they love,” said Mayor Cantrell. “New Orleans is a welcoming city that openly celebrates and embraces diversity, as it is what makes up the beautiful fabric of our great city. As a true ally who has led the charge and been on the frontlines with our community partners and organizations, everyone will always be loved and accepted here in New Orleans, and I will continue to do my part to make New Orleans a place that is more inclusive, more equitable, and more diverse as a whole.”

I am biased about Louisiana, having grown up in the state. I’m a Louisianan at heart. When I see shenanigans like this by race-baiting grifters, it angers me. Deliberately dividing people for financial gain and as a power grab is disgusting. The organization should be shunned. Would the Florida travel advisory have been issued if Governor DeSantis wasn’t running for president? No. Now the Louisiana chapter wants to piggyback on that action. Kinda. It’s a half-assed measure to say strong and divisive rhetoric without actually calling for black people and others to avoid traveling to the state. The progress I’ve seen in my own lifetime could only happen in America.

If the Louisiana chapter goes through with it, their travel advisory will have about as much success as the one in Florida. Have we seen any evidence in Florida tourism dropping due to the NAACP’s objections to state legislation? Nope. The same will be true in Louisiana. At least one national board member resides in Louisiana. I’ll be watching to see if he weighs in on the subject.