Urge Florida University to divest from forced labor in prisons
BY Herrana Addisu, Freedom United
| We are still waiting for the University of Florida to address racism and inequity by implementing a set of initiatives it outlined one year ago! The university committed to ending the use of incarcerated labor contracts, often linked to allegations of prison slavery — a practice that disproportionately exploits black and brown people — but that commitment is yet to be fulfilled.[1] |
| TAKE A STAND |
| The University has had a long history of using prison labor. They currently have a contract with Aramark, a food servicing company. Aramark is facing federal lawsuits over forced labor, with incarcerated workers reported to being forced to perform unpaid labor under the threat of longer sentences and solitary confinement. Freedom United has been organizing and calling on educational institutions to divest from Aramark due to testimonies from detainees that the company subjected them to forced prison labor — and made a huge profit from their exploitation. That is why we are partnering with the Coalition to Abolish Prison Slavery University of Florida, a coalition of student and community organizations and individuals actively organizing to abolish the exploitation of prison labor, to demand that the University of Florida does not renew its contract with Aramark. |
| SIGN OUR PETITION |
| Together we are calling on the University of Florida to completely disassociate from the prison industrial complex and to specify in upcoming contract negotiations for campus food service contractors, that the chosen vendor will not be engaged in any prison labor contracts, invest in, exploit, or utilize prison labor in any way. |
| University of Florida President, Kent Fuchs, wrote in his letter in June 2020 to address anti-racism:[2] “The symbolism of inmate labor is incompatible with our university and its principles.” |
| If President Fuchs is to keep to his word, then it is essential that the University of Florida divest from companies such as Aramark and the prison industrial complex. Join us by sharing our campaign and calling on all educational institutions to divest from prison slavery. In solidarity, Herrana and the Freedom United Team |
