Little-known Pensacola attorney Zach Smith has tried to make a name for himself as Pensacola’s DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) enforcer. As trustess for both the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College, he has pressured UWF President Martha Saunders to resign and got PSC to drop its affiliation with PBS. He has not reached out beyond the UWF and PSC campuses.
Smith tried to get the Pensacola City Council to drop a drag show from performing at the Saenger Theatre, which failed. He also objected to PSC from hiring the former executive director of Achieve Escambia, because the nonprofit once had an equity statement on its website.
No Ban on Drag Shows at the Saenger
Zack Smith Wipes Away Achieve Escambia
United Way Dropped “Equity” from Achieve, Not Zack Smith
Meanwhile, Interm UWF President Manny Diaz delivered a State of the University address, which many saw as a tribute to former President Saunders.
In-Depth Look @ UWF State of the University 2025
This upcoming week, we learn what Mayor D.C. Reeves wants to do with the bids for the revamping of South Palafox Street.
New Palafox Bids Received, We Will See What We Get Next Week
INWEEKLY
The Dark Underbelly of School Vouchers – Florida has achieved what school choice advocates once only dreamed of—more than half (51%) of the state’s K-12 students now attend private, charter, home or…
Winners & Losers 10/16/25
Winners: David Stafford – Mayor D.C. Reeves has chosen David Stafford as his city administrator. Stafford, a Pensacola native with over 30 years of government management experience, will lead the city’s administrative operations. Stafford served…
Outtakes—More Than a Game
On Oct. 4, I attended the 2025 Soul Bowl, the annual youth football game between the Southern Youth Sports Association (SYSA) Tigers and the East Pensacola-Magee Field Rattlers. For nearly 20…
I Heart The East Hillbillies
You might’ve seen “I *heart* EastHillbillies” on the back of someone’s car while driving around Pensacola. The local band’s bumper stickers are a play on the “I *heart* Living in East…
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