FAMU President, DeSantis' Choice
Lee Hall on the Florida A&M University campus. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
Florida A&M University has weathered its share of storms, the most recent being a deeply embarrassing debacle when a Texas donor conned former FAMU President Larry Robinson and a close circle of school officials into believing that the hallowed institution was the recipient of a $237.75 million gift.
After discovering the gift was a hoax, Robinson resigned, which led to the uproar over the past several weeks surrounding the choice of Robinson's successor. During a presidential search process shrouded in secrecy, the Ron DeSantis-dominated FAMU Board of Trustees voted 8-4 for Marva Johnson, a last-minute addition to the presidential finalist list.
'The late entry of Marva Johnson into the pool of candidates to become FAMU's president has sparked concern about her allegiances, the selection process and her apparent lack of qualifications, MSNBC said. 'Johnson, who has been appointed to boards by Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Gov. Rick Scott, has no college administrative experience and has remained an ally of DeSantis as his GOP administration has undermined Black history lessons in the state.'
The likelihood that Johnson might be chosen provoked in a multipronged campaign of resistance, including a Change.org petition against her candidacy that gathered more than 10,000 signatures.
Florida's state NAACP president threatened legal action over the selection process. Popular film director Will Packer, a FAMU graduate who has produced films like 'Takers,' 'Straight Outta Compton,' and 'Think Like a Man,' warned that 'a group of activist Republicans are trying to put in the highest position of power someone who is solidly and objectively unqualified for it.
A range of Black media personalities online also sounded the alarm on Johnson.
There have been calls for boycotts and other punitive measures to express displeasure over how all this has played out. The primary objections involve Jonhson's connections to DeSantis, who throughout his time as governor has exhibited barefaced hostility towards Black Floridians while implementing a raft of racist ideological MAGA policies aimed at institutions of higher learning.
A WFSU story in the days following last Friday's selection captures the temperature.
'Florida A&M University is ablaze following the appointment of Marva Johnson to the school's presidency. Alumni, students and other FAMU stakeholders are weighing how best to move forward,' the story said.
'Johnson is a controversial candidate for her ties to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, as he works to remake higher education in the state. Now, the school's interim president is urging calm amid backlash and boycott threats in response to Johnson's appointment by the FAMU Board of Trustees,' the story continues.
'I urge you to stay engaged and remain connected,' Interim President Tim Beard wrote in a statement. 'Your advocacy, your feedback and your financial support are crucial to ensuring that our institution continues to thrive.'
To describe DeSantis' assault on higher education as a remaking is a grave understatement.
Since 2023, he has taken a wrecking ball to Florida's higher educational system in his misguided effort to stamp out liberalism and 'woke' ideology and install university presidents, educators, board members, and others who embrace the governor's conservative agenda.
A 2024 report by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), details the 'the various manifestations of political and legislative interference in Florida's higher education system under the DeSantis administration and that of his predecessor, Rick Scott.'
'These include attacks on faculty academic freedom and tenure; the assault on the curriculum; the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; the development of a patronage system marked by politically connected administrative appointments; the stacking of the statewide board of governors with Republican former political officeholders and professional political operatives beholden to the governor and the legislature; the passage of legislation making confidential identifying information of applicants for presidential positions at state universities or Florida College System institutions; political and legislative attacks on the higher education accreditation system; legal challenges to public employee unions; and the broader assault on the rights and social gains of LGBTQ+ communities.'
In short order, DeSantis – term-limited from running again for governor – has enacted hostile takeovers of the New College, the University of Florida, Florida International University, and the University of West Florida. As the Florida Phoenix has reported, DeSantis is installing his political allies at state universities so that they can purge these institutions of 'ideological concepts.' To date, five of 12 schools have new presidents and another four are looking.
People like Packer and Adora Obi Nweze, president of the Florida State Conference NAACP, issued calls to scrap the entire process and start again.
Nweze urged the FAMU Board of Trustees to 'recommit to a fair and untainted process' that reflects the university's legacy of academic excellence.
She and others were ignored and Johnson now will become FAMU's 13th president.
During a volatile meeting that ran about two hours, as Johnson introduced herself to the community, tempers ran hot. Packer warned trustees that choosing Johnson would be detrimental to FAMU's future, but she sought to assuage those fears.
'I know that the comments you're bringing – while they're coming to me in a way that may evidence angst – are coming from your love for this university, your love for this university's legacy, and your interest in making sure that you protect it. If I am selected, I would fight and win for FAMU,' Johnson told the crowd.
'No, I'm not a Trojan horse. I was not sent here to dismantle FAMU. … 'I would love the opportunity to work with you and to grow FAMU.'
Johnson also said: 'I understand the gravity of this moment. I'm grounded in the importance of FAMU's legacy, and I'm energized by the opportunities that we have in front of us.'
The new president served as vice president for governmental affairs (meaning she was a lobbyist) for Charter Communications, a telecom company, and is a former member of the State Board of Education.
I reached out to Desirée Nero, a corporate and government consultant and 'a very proud alum,' said she understands the concerns but now that Johnson has been selected, FAMUANs must figure out how to work with her.
'Universities are moving more in the direction of being managed like businesses. The president's job is to raise money, build relationships, and increase the universities' global impact and reputation. Marva Johnson can do that,' Nero said.
Nero gives Johnson props for succeeding as a Black woman in business – 'I'm sure she has had to fight some battles in her rise to leadership,' she said.
'She's well educated; a Georgetown undergrad, an MBA from Emory and a J.D. from Georgia State,' said Nero, who has 20 years of experience working in leadership development within Florida State government. 'Republicans and MAGA are not one and the same. There's nothing recently that indicates she will walk the MAGA path.'
FAMU, the state's only public historically Black institution, was established in 1887 during the height of Jim Crow and segregation because African Americans weren't allowed to attend white institutions. Racism and purposeful underinvestment has always dogged the university.
In 2023, the Biden administration sent letters to 16 governors – including DeSantis – urging these states to review $12 billion in funding disparities among land-grant universities. The U.S. Department of Education alleged that the states disproportionately underfunded Florida A&M University by nearly $2 billion compared to University of Florida – the second largest funding disparity among all land-grant universities.
This disparity has resulted in 'inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,' then-U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona wrote.
The Trump administration recently rescinded a $16.3 million grant that had been awarded to FAMU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Meanwhile, FAMU is struggling to properly prepare its students to pass board examinations in its nursing, law, pharmacy, and physical therapy programs. Alan Levine, vice chair of the Florida Board of Governors, last year threatened to get rid of the programs if there's no improvement.
Those who support Johnson hope she has the political connections, fundraising acumen, and leadership skills to reverse these challenges. And they hope she will convince DeSantis not to mess with FAMU the way he did New College.
'Change is inevitable and history has shown us that those who fight change are subject to be left behind,' Nero said. 'Change isn't coming to FAMU, it's here. FAMU may be in the fight of its life and we need a warrior to champion this fight. This is too important to be confrontational.'
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