From “Loving FAMU means telling the truth about its issues”
(Friday, July 10, 2015):
On Monday’s front page, there will be an article I wrote
about the drama surrounding Florida A&M University President Elmira Mangum
just a little over a year into her tenure.
She has made mistakes, but her position is worsened by a
terrible relationship with members of the board of trustees and especially its
chairman, Rufus Montgomery.
Writing this article was tough and not just because of difficulty getting folks to talk candidly and on the record about what is going on.
No, this article was tough because FAMU means so much to me.
I’m an alumna, and the institution means more than the piece of paper proving
my 4½ years there resulted in a degree.
I had a friend who graduated from the University of Florida
tell me one day that the way I and other FAMU graduates talk about our school
was something she had never heard before. There is a love and a connection to
the university that she found surprising and endearing.
This friend comes from a family of proud Gators. But she was
in awe of the “Rattler spirit” from those, like me, who “bleed orange and
green.”
I felt not just a reporter duty, but also a Rattler duty to
shed light on what is going on today at my beloved alma mater. It’s troubling.
Read the full story here.