If Trump-aligned Floridians have their way, the historically Black university Florida A&M may soon be under the thumb of a trusted MAGA ally.
The late entry of Marva Johnson into the pool of candidates to become FAMU’s president has sparked concern about her allegiances, the selection process and her apparent lack of qualifications. Johnson, who has been appointed to boards by Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Gov. Rick Scott, has no college administrative experience and has remained an ally of DeSantis as his GOP administration has undermined Black history lessons in the state.
The Tallahassee Democrat nailed down some of the concerns from Black Floridians, FAMU affiliates and others:
The resistance to Johnson — a former Florida Board of Education chair also appointed to other boards by both former Gov. Rick Scott and current Gov. Ron DeSantis — comes amid broad speculation that her name was added late to the search committee’s original list of three finalists that panelists interviewed and voted on during closed sessions.
As the outlet notes, Johnson is facing a wave of dissent:
- A Change.org petition against her candidacy has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
- Florida’s state NAACP president is threatening potential legal action over the selection process.
- Popular film director Will Packer, a FAMU graduate who has produced films like “Takers,” “Straight Outta Compton” and “Think Like a Man,” warned that “a group of activist Republicans are trying to put in the highest position of power someone who is solidly and objectively unqualified for it.”
- And various Black media personalities online have sounded the alarm on Johnson, as well.
The ultimate decision will be up to the Florida Board of Governors, the governing body for the state’s universities. The board’s vice chair, who happens to be white, has voiced support for Johnson and called criticism of her unfair.
But at this point, it seems quite fair for anyone to be concerned about close allies of the governor being tapped to wield control over local colleges and universities. It hasn’t exactly gone well in other cases.
Former Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Fla., was DeSantis’ pick to lead the University of Florida, and his brief stint as president ended in controversy last year when he resigned amid widespread concerns about his spending. Another DeSantis ally — Richard Corcoran — was tapped to lead the historically liberal-leaning New College of Florida, while the college’s board of trustees includes right-wing influencer Christopher Rufo. And under their leadership, New College of Florida has undergone a right-wing transformation, bringing on employees from conservative media outlets and right-wing think tanks.
In November, The Guardian published an article describing that transformation, with a headline that said: “With Trump returning to power, rightwingers may seek to replicate New College of Florida’s experience across US.”
That, it would seem, is the precise scenario that opponents of Johnson’s presidential candidacy at FAMU are trying to avoid.