Controversy briefly swirled on social media last month after a Latina was crowned Miss Coppin State University. Coppin State is an HBCU in Maryland, with only 3% of its student body identifying as Latino or Hispanic (The Baltimore Banner, February 4th online).
Upon hearing this news, Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida and champion of no-nonsense higher education, issued an Executive Order designed to prevent such an occurrence from ever happening in the Sunshine State.
Beginning July 1st, 2023, all Florida HBCU pageant contestants must submit, as part of their application portfolio, a complete DNA profile generated by either 23andMe or Ancestry.com. They will need to demonstrate at least 90% Black heritage in order to move forward in the competition.
“It’s the least we can do to protect the integrity of these contests,” says DeSantis. “Indeed, I look forward to the day when a DNA requirement will apply to anyone who even seeks admission to a Florida HBCU. Let’s face it, the sooner that every college and university in the nation replaces the SAT and ACT with genetic testing, the better off we’ll all be. It’s time to sort out, once and for all, who belongs where.
“I’m Ron DeSantis, and I approved this message.”