Defiant FAMU Stakeholders Continue Resistance to Johnson Presidency

  By Jaylin Alleyne

Florida A&M University stakeholders have been confronted with a presidential selection process that has excluded them entirely. The FAMU community is horrified by the process, which has devolved into an initiative led by outsiders, with a mission not of FAMU’s making or culture. The dramatic shift ignored students, faculty, alumni, and the search committee.

The confirmation of Marva Johnson’s presidency has been mired in controversy, and the Foundation Board has twice refused to supplement her salary by over half a million dollars.

Laurence Humphries, a donor, a member of the Foundation Board, and the son of the revered President Frederick Humphries, says the lawsuit seeking to halt Johnson’s confirmation clarifies the concerns.

“This legal action just spells out what everyone at FAMU can see: Marva Johnson was picked by political insiders who want to remake and reimagine our great University, not by those who have nourished and built the University. The State claims it’s cutting ‘DEI,’ but then hires a president who doesn’t meet the job’s own criteria and has no real support on campus. Hand-picking a leader who bypasses the posted criteria is objectively governance malpractice,” Humphries said. The Board of Trustees plans an end run with a $900K budget carveout to pay Johnson. During the current contentious Special Session, that could be a heavy lift. The fear of “ MAGA Marva” serving as a Trojan Horse for Governor DeSantis looms large over the process for several reasons.

AT STAKE: The future of Florida A&M University, the nation’s # 1 public HBCU. Dubbed the Harvard of Public HBCUs (50), FAMU is the target of an assault that threatens to destroy the unique cultural legacy and academic integrity of its 14 colleges and schools

The WOKE FACTOR: According to Governor Ron DeSantis, “Florida is where WOKE comes to die.” FAMU is the epitome of Black culture with its renowned Marching 100 and programs at the School of the Environment and the School of Journalism among its 14 colleges and schools. By appointing political cronies to presidencies, the Governor has actively undermined the academic profiles of 4 predominantly White state universities without facing resistance. DeSantis has tried to offer assurances through surrogates that he will do no harm.  But FAMU stakeholders are non-believers. They have been fighting hard to protect their coveted university for 9 months.

THE OUTRAGE: Marva Johnson’s presidential nomination has faced unprecedented stakeholder opposition. She was forced onto the list of finalists, bringing demands for an investigation. The resistance and disdain from students, faculty, and alumni played out on social media, public forums, and rallies.

       THE LACK OF CREDENTIALS MATTERS: In Black culture, academic achievement is prized. FAMU’s last president, Larry Robinson, has a PhD in Nuclear Chemistry. Under his leadership, FAMU received the prestigious Carnegie Level II research status. Johnson has a law degree. She fell woefully short of the search committee’s credential requirements and does not possess a terminal degree, but the so-called “Hateful 8” voted for her anyway.

       MARVA JOHNSON’S CREDIBILITY PROBLEM: A devout DeSantis ally, she is among the Black people who regularly rotate on and off DeSantis’ boards. She was also a member of the Florida Education Commission, which ushered in Critical Race Theory and effectively removed Back history from the public-school curriculum.

The Board of Governors is scheduled to finalize Johnson’s presidency on June 18. Her advocates want her contract approved with a salary included.

Marva Johnson never revealed her plans to advance FAMU’s mantra, “Excellence with Caring.” One observer commented, “How could she? It’s out of her han