Students at Florida’s only public HBCU protest presidential candidate with DeSantis ties

TALLAHASSEE Fla AP Florida s only population historically Black university could soon be run by an ally of Republican Gov Ron DeSantis who has restricted the teaching of African American history and banned population colleges from using taxpayer money on diversity programs Marva Johnson a lobbyist and executive for the telecom company Charter Communications and a former member of the state Board of Development has been named one of the four finalists to be the next president of Florida A M University Students rallied against her candidacy on campus Wednesday while she was interviewed by the school s board of trustees A core mission of FAMU written into the law that established the school in has been to educate African Americans The prospect that a DeSantis-aligned candidate could soon lead FAMU has alarmed students faculty and alumni who celebrate the university s legacy of Black excellence social mobility and cultural pride Representatives for DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press Johnson has been appointed to state boards by DeSantis and then-Gov Rick Scott and has been criticized for her lack of administrative experience in higher development Before trustees on Wednesday Johnson touted her skills in navigating the corporate world and the state Legislature As the leader I am championing guidance I am moving mountains if they get in your way Johnson reported I m not going to be the best academian at this point in my career While Johnson fielded questions from trustees dozens of students and alumni gathered at a rally across campus praying for the future of the university that has lifted up the descendants of enslaved people and helped produce generations of lawyers pharmacists architects and engineers We cannot go down in history saying that we had a responsibility and we lost the illustrious FAMU disclosed Quincy Griffin a pastor and alumnus Not on my watch Elijah Hooks a political science learner at FAMU and chief of staff at the Florida Novice Association pointed to contemporary attempts by DeSantis allies to overhaul the University of West Florida and New College of Florida in what critics called a hostile political takeover They want students to not learn things such as Black studies revealed Hooks They want them to be controlled by certain narratives and certain beliefs The efforts to restrict what we can and cannot learn is a spit in the face to his ancestors Hooks explained leading the crowd in chants of No MAGA Marva a reference to President Donald Trump s Make America Great Again agenda Supporters of the university which hosts about students at its campus a limited blocks from the state capitol have long argued the state has underfunded the school sending more tools to predominantly white institutions like Florida State University across the railroad tracks from FAMU The prospect of the DeSantis administration wresting more control over the HBCU plays into longstanding anxieties that the state could cut into several of the university s signature programs or even merge the school with FSU an idea lawmakers contemplated in the s Backlash over FAMU s apparent failure to properly vet a multimillion-dollar donation from a dubious donor brought fresh scrutiny to the school s institutional governance last year Then-president Larry Robinson later resigned opening the door to new leadership at the school at a time when DeSantis and his appointees have been exerting more influence over the state s populace universities FAMU Trustee Deveron Gibbons who chairs the presidential search committee has defended the school s process as transparent and inclusive and applauded the four finalists I m grateful to my fellow trustees who have approached this process with integrity and care every step of the way Their commitment has been instrumental in stewarding a process that reflects the values and aspirations of the FAMU society Gibbons noted The school s Board of Trustees is scheduled to take a vote on the finalists on Friday Their pick must then be established by the state s Board of Governors