Rattler Nation is not the only black media outlet that is
ringing the alarm about Gov. Rick Scott and Board of Governors (BOG) Chairman
Dean Colson’s unfair treatment of FAMU. The Florida Courier, the Sunshine State's
first black owned and operated statewide weekly newspaper, is also questioning
the governor and BOG chairman’s recent actions concerning the state’s only
public historically black public university.
"FAMU’s defenders point to a double standard, particularly
with regard to Colson," the Courier wrote in a recent front page article. "In 2001, Colson was a member of the
University of Miami’s Board of Trustees when 18-year old UM student Chad
Meredith drowned during a Kappa Sigma Fraternity hazing ritual. Colson
supported UM President Donna Shalala, who did not take aggressive action to eliminate
hazing on UM’s campus before Meredith’s hazing death."
"There are also concerns that Gov. Rick Scott pressured
FAMU’s board to dump [former President James H.] Ammons and bring in a new
president of his choosing, with the goal of enacting conservative educational
reforms through the State University System, including weakening teachers'
unions and eliminating tenure – starting with FAMU," the Courier added.
Rattler Nation applauds the Florida Courier for using its
pages to educate even more citizens about the harm that Scott and his
like-minded political allies are bringing to FAMU. This will help build
momentum for strong African American voter turnout as Floridians prepare to participate in the critical 2012 elections. Showing up to the polls in large numbers is the best way to fight back against what Scott is doing to FAMU and other educational institutions in this state.
The governor already appears to be scared of what may come in the 2012 elections, which is probably why he's supporting various voter suppression efforts that are likely to hurt minority voter participation.
For the full text of the Florida Courier’s recent article
about the danger FAMU faces, visit its news site here.