FAMU: Florida's most talked-about university in Election 2008

FAMU might just have bragging rights as the Sunshine State’s highest profile university during this year’s U.S. presidential race. Its name has been part of the good, bad, and ugly of Election 2008.

Here’s a run-down of some of the more memorable events:

April 15, 2007

FAMU’s Marching 100 performed at an Ybor City, Fla. fundraising rally for U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois), then a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. The band’s selections included FAMU favorites such as “Do What You Wanna” and “Flight of the Bumble Bee.”

"This is the best introduction I have ever had," a thankful Obama told the students. "You guys make us all proud. You've made us proud all year long."

August 27, 2007

Obama held a campaign rally in Gaither Gymnasium before a crowd of more than 4,000 cheering supporters. President James Ammons introduced him. When Obama took the microphone, he gave FAMU alumnus and Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum a special recognition.

"Give it up for Andrew!" Obama told the audience. "Twenty-seven and he's already a commissioner! You can just imagine what he's going to be doing in the years to come. He's a great friend."

Gillum commented that Obama’s decision to hold such an important event at FAMU showed just how deeply the candidate "believes in the role of historically black colleges.''

April 27-28, 2008

Exactly one year after Obama appeared on FAMU’s campus, the university’s name filled national news articles and video clips, again.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor for 20 years, gave FAMU a couple of shot-outs while shooting back at his critics. After newscasts aired out-of-context, inflammatory statements Wright had made from his pulpit and Obama accused him of having “a profoundly distorted view of this country,” the minister went on the offensive.

In trying to explain the cultural differences between the forms of preaching in black and white churches, Wright compared band performances at predominantly white universities versus those at HBCUs:

Here in Michigan, look at it, and listen to the University of Michigan and Michigan State University bands at halftime. Their bands hit the field with excellent European precision. Da, da, da, da, da, ta, ra, ra.

Now go to a Florida A&M and Grambling band. Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun.

Obama was not impressed with his pastor’s speech and formally cut his ties with Wright the next day.

August 11, 2008

FAMU alumnus Reggie Mitchell made national headlines with his statewide initiative to register ex-felons to vote, an effort he believes will help Obama carry Florida in the general election.

September 3, 2008

Obama publicly urged Kwame Kilpatrick, a FAMU alumnus and the embattled mayor of Detroit, to resign. Reporters surmised that Obama feared Kilpatrick’s ongoing legal troubles were jeopardizing the campaign’s chances of wooing Michigan’s white suburban voters, a critical group in the battleground state.

The next day, Kilpatrick pled guilty to two felonies and announced his resignation.

September 27, 2008

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wives of the Democratic Party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees, held a “Change We Need Voter Registration Rally” in FAMU’s Quad. Ammons, former Student Body President Monique Gillum (Andrew Gillum’s younger sister), and current Student Body Vice-President Mellori Lumpkin also addressed the crowd of 8,000.

NOTE: More photos from Saturday's rally can be found here at the Black Snob's blog (another great read!).