You may remember the sonnet heard round the world from seven years ago, when Lin-Manuel Miranda’s emotional “Love is love is love” declamation in response to the Pulse shootings wrung hearts.
This year, no less emotional, TV star and Broadway actress Denee Benton called out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Tony Awards.
Denée Benton calls Governor Ron DeSantis the “current grand wizard” of Florida at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/O2iEfbOvQO
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
Sunday night, the star of HBO period drama The Gilded Age — and Florida native — called DeSantis the “current Grand Wizard” of Florida.
“I’m certain that the current Grand Wizard — I’m sorry, excuse me — governor of my home state of Florida …” Benton started, before the audience started whooping with laughter, cheers and applause.
The title of “Grand Wizard” is reserved for the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, the racist American hate group known for lynchings and cross burnings.
Benton was presenting the award for Excellence in Theatre Education to Jason Zembuch Young, a high-school teacher in the unfortunately named Florida town of Plantation.
Benton said, “While I am certain that the current grand wizard — I’m sorry, excuse me, governor of my home state of Florida, will be changing [pause for audience applause] I am sure that he will be changing the name of this following town immediately … we were honored to present this award to the truly incredible and life-changing Jason Zembuch Young for enhancing the lives of students at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida.”
In 2020, residents launched a petition to change the name of the city, calling it “a symbol of its racist Confederate past.”
It’s worth noting that the town was incorporated in 1953, not 1853, so they really had a chance to do better there.
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