Last week, FAMU had its fall reopening plan approved by the Florida Board of Governors, but you have to wonder if FAMU’s public optimism is met by private uncertainty. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had urged Florida’s state college and universities to reopen this fall and the Florida Board of Governors quickly jumped into action.
Because of the pandemic's disproportionate impact on Black people, students attending FAMU, and their families, are more likely to contract and die from the coronavirus. People of color are also more likely to be laid off and less likely to have jobs that allow them to work at home. And many serve as frontline workers in hospitals, grocery stores, and public transportation.
Bringing students back, given the disproportionate harm COVID-19 had caused to people of color, could endanger students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities.
On the flip side, for some students who may lack a safe place to live, on campus, at FAMU, is likely the safest place they could be.
However, the path to reopen that FAMU, and Florida’s other public universities, are choosing comes with big risks and massive liability if things go wrong.