GOP presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been criticized by Black Floridians for his far-right policies, announced Monday (Aug. 28) that the state will direct $1 million to improve campus security at historically Black Edward Waters University in Jacksonville.

The announcement came three days after investigators said a White gunman fatally shot three Black people at a Dollar General in Jacksonville. Ryan Palmeter, 21, was seen on EWU’s campus before using an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a Glock handgun in a racist shooting rampage, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.

Authorities said Palmeter, who left behind a diary of white supremacist writings, took his own life when law enforcement officers arrived at the scene.

“We are not going to allow our HBCUs to be targets for hateful scumbags. I’ve directed my administration to use every resource available to ensure the Edward Waters campus is safe following this shooting and to help the impacted families as they mourn their loved ones,” DeSantis said, according to Jacksonville station WJXT.

The governor also announced that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement evaluated EWU’s security needs and that the state would contribute $100,000 to support the victims’ families.

However, the sincerity of DeSantis’ sudden financial support for the HBCU and his concern about hate crimes targeting Black residents came into question.

State Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, said the new funding cannot “erase the pain caused by years of marginalization and oppression” at Florida’s HBCUs that have been underfunded for decades.

“For it to take murder for him to dig in his overflowing coffers for support is appalling,” Nixon wrote in a news release, according to WJXT.

DeSantis, who was booed Sunday (Aug. 27) at a vigil for the victims, is running for president on a far-right platform to bring his “anti-woke” agenda in Florida to the nation.

As governor, he legalized carrying concealed guns without a permit, enacted legislation that defunds programs that promote diversity in public higher education, and prohibited public high schools from offering Advanced Placement  African American Studies in what his critics say is an attempt to whitewash a history of racism in America.

“The recent Jacksonville shooting, which targeted Black individuals, is a stark reminder of the dangerous consequences of unchecked racism. While DeSantis may feign concern now, his track record speaks louder than his hollow words,” Nixon said.

“We need actions, not publicity stunts. I urge the Governor to do more than make empty gestures and call folks names. It’s time for him to truly reckon with the damage he has caused, to apologize for the harm he has inflicted, and to actively work towards undoing the racist system he’s helped uphold and grow.”

HBCUs have been frequently targeted for hate crimes. In 2022, HBCUs across the nation received bomb threats that began on Jan. 4 when eight HBCUs, including Howard University and Spelman College, received calls from someone using racial slurs. At least seven more schools received similar calls by the end of the month. Another round of threats targeting more HBCUs were made in February, at the start of Black History Month.