Truthout
Florida
![This 1867 drawing by Alfred Waud, "The First Vote," depicts Black men waiting in line to cast ballots. In Southern states, Black men first gained the right to vote in state constitutions drafted during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/09/The_First_Vote-400x300.jpg)
Honoring Reconstruction’s Legacy: The Freedom to Vote
Amendment 4 is a ballot initiative that would repeal Florida's harsh and discriminatory disenfranchisement law.
![](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/09/GettyImages-634867063-400x300.jpg)
Seven States Ban Victim Aid to People With Criminal Records
Crime victim compensation funds often divide victims into those who are deemed deserving and those deemed undeserving.
![From the Grassroots to the Ballot Box: How Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum Won In Florida](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/08/S1_Gillum-400x300.jpg)
How Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum Won With Grassroots Activism
Phillip Agnew and Charlene Carruthers discuss their work with Gillum.
![Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum addresses the crowd of educators as Democrats running for the US Senate, Florida governor and attorney general for the state of Florida attended an educational rally on Sunday, August 19, 2018, at the Betty Anderson Recreation Center in Miami Gardens, Florida.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/08/GettyImages-1019604138-400x300.jpg)
In Historic Upset, Progressive Andrew Gillum Wins Florida Nomination
Gillum rode grassroots enthusiasm for his Medicare-for-All platform to victory in the gubernatorial primary.
![Fish kill on South Lido Beach, Florida.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/08/9B3A2362-400x300.jpg)
Supercharged by Pollution, Florida’s Toxic Algae Crisis Continues Unabated
It may be years before marine life can recover from the impacts of the ongoing explosion of toxic algae in Florida.
![](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/08/GettyImages-699474576-400x300.jpg)
Stand Your Ground Law Is Back in Spotlight After Parking Lot Shooting
There's a clear bias against people of color in the law's interpretation, say local racial and social justice groups.
![Sunset over a canal in Cape Coral, Florida, filled with cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/08/leaad9B3A5493-Edit-400x300.jpg)
Fueled by Pollution and Unsound Policies, Toxic Algae Overtake Florida Beaches
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has played a role in weakening regulations that protect water.
![Prisoners at Lowell Correctional Facility in Ocala, Florida, engage in a volunteer-led literacy program.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/07/DSC04297-400x300.jpg)
Low Literacy Rates, Lack of Education Funding Fuel Cycle of Incarceration
Some states' attempts to make education less accessible to prisoners flies in the face of common sense.
![](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/06/GettyImages-629355249-400x300.jpg)
Despite Reforms, Children in Jails Are Still Held in Solitary Confinement
A lawsuit alleges that three boys suffered psychological trauma in Palm Beach, Florida.
![](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2018/05/2018_0506jt_-400x300.jpg)
Fighting the Fees That Force Prisoners to Pay for Their Incarceration
‘'Pay-to-stay'’ fees push the poor into debt.