FAMU faces increased external threats following Robinson's resignation

This past Friday, FAMU President Larry Robinson, the second longest serving public university president in Florida, announced his decision to step down from his position. The announcement comes at a pivotal time for the institution history as higher education in Florida has increasingly been under attack by Governor Ron DeSantis who has in recent years has sought to transform Florida’s college and university systems by advocating for legislation to gut diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs, and through his appointment of  activist boards of trustees. 
 
Robinson’s has been credited with steering FAMU towards remarkable successes. Under his leadership, FAMU has climbed to the top 100 national public universities, catapulted four spots to become the third highest ranked HBCU (behind only Spelman College and Howard University) according to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report.  FAMU has also outperformed several of its notable institutions peers in the Florida SUS, all while being vastly underfunded.  
 
However, the university's upward trajectory is now overshadowed by the threats posed by the Florida Board of Governors (FBOG)  to eliminate several key programs including  law, nursing, and pharmacy schools. These threats have raised alarm among stakeholders, who fear that the potential dismantling of these programs could have far-reaching consequences not only for FAMU but also for the broader African American community and the legacy of civil rights in America.
 
The FBOG's stance, as articulated by Vice Chair Alan Levine, suggests a dissatisfaction with the university's progress, which could lead to drastic measures. The possibility of repurposing FAMU's law school to another institution, such as the University of Central Florida (UCF), echoes a troubling past when the law school was defunded and its resources transferred to Florida State University (FSU).
 

A larger plan at play

To be clear, Robinson's forced resignation is much less about the Gregory Gerami gift fiasco, but more of a larger scheme that began in 2022 when DeSantis and his cronies diluted Florida's African American representation in Congress.

We know Republicans hate diversity. We see attacks on everything from voting rights to DEI initiatives to teaching accurate American history in schools. Education is, of course, a favorite target for the GOP.

Stakeholders must recognize the interconnected nature of these challenges. Dismantling (or weakening) FAMU would impact not just the university, but the African American community and the legacy of civil rights itself.

Forcing Robinson, a five-time former NAACP President (Oak Ridge/Anderson Co., TN), out is just another example of Republicans attacking education and using it as a ground zero for their anti-diversity crusades. 

For example, Florida is one of ten states that has enacted laws banning diversity, equity and inclusion policies in colleges. Getting rid of DEI, and heavily underfunding HBCUs, are all part of a larger plan. We know we cannot take Republicans for their word if and when they try to make it seem like anything else is at play here. 

Recently, southern states with Republican governors and legislatures have taken actions that weaken the standing of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), such as Tennessee State, Jackson State, Alcorn, and FAMU.  The repercussions of these actions go beyond FAMU, sparking worries about the sustainability of HBCUs and their contribution to educational fairness and civil rights.

This year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, initiated substantial reforms at Tennessee State University by reconstituting its governing board, leading to the exit of the university's long-serving president, Glenda B. Glover, Ph.D., JD, CPA. This move followed a lengthy disagreement with the state over the university's persistent funding shortfall, which amounted to $2.1 billion.

We cannot let this go unnoticed because what happened at TSU was just the beginning. 

Elections matter

Another important part to this equation is that elections DO matter. We keep saying this because it’s so true. Governors have a lot of power in this situation. For example, MAGA maniacs like our own Gov. Ron DeSantis continue to appoint anti-DEI trustees who will do whatever they are asked. 

By appointing sycophantic trustees, conservatives can continue infiltrating education with their right-wing extremist talking points.  

The threats posed by Governor DeSantis, FBOG, and even our own trustees are viewed not merely as administrative decisions but as symbols of a larger movement that could reshape the educational and social landscape of America.

We must take a step back and realize why they want to do these things in the first place. Why are Republicans so threatened by diversity, equity, and inclusion? It’s because they don’t want people learning the hard truths of this country. Because if the public is educated about structural racism and inequities, then they won’t vote for the people who keep these racist institutions in place. All of this is connected and we have to be proactive in combating it.

With Robinson's resignation, FAMU now joins Florida Atlantic University as a second state school hunting for a new president.   FAU’s search has been mired in controversy since a Republican lawmaker last year claimed he was handpicked for the job by DeSantis but not chosen by trustees, setting off a firestorm that contributed to state officials ordering the search to be restarted.

In the last few years, DeSantis has played a major role in transforming Florida’s college and university systems by advocating to weaken tenure for professors, gutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and through his appointment of trustee university boards. The most glaring example is DeSantis appointing six trustees at New College of Florida in one swoop last year who quickly fired the school president and replaced her with the Republican governor’s former education chief Richard Corcoran.

Between now and January, DeSantis & his FBOG could appoint as many as five new trustees to the FAMU Board of Trustee to do his bidding. 

In the coming days, FAMU trustees are expected to meet to discuss the next steps including the appointment of an interim leader, who more than likely will be heavily influenced by DeSantis and the FBOG along with the commencement of a presidential search. The university's future remains uncertain, but the hope is that it will continue to thrive and uphold its legacy as a beacon of educational excellence and equity.

Robinson's departure opens a crucial chapter for FAMU, one where leadership, funding, and the legacy of HBCUs all hang in the balance.