Board of Florida's only Public HBCU Picks a Lobbyist with Ties to DeSantis as Its Next President

Florida A&M Hires DeSantis Ally as President

The HBCU in Tallahassee hired a president who has never worked in higher ed but has ties to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Her critics have dubbed her “MAGA Marva.” Following a contentious selection process, Florida A&M University hired a new president with no experience working in higher education but longstanding ties to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Marva Johnson, a lobbyist for Charter Communications, faced sharp opposition from stude…

The pick to run Florida’s only HBCU is an ally to top Florida Republicans

The Florida A&M University campus in Tallahassee on Dec. 31, 2024. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)Florida’s only public historic Black university is turning to an ally of top Republicans to lead the institution despite an overwhelming outcry from alumni, who questioned the decision to pick someone with no ties to the school or higher education experience. The board of trustees for Florida A&M University voted, 8-4, on Friday to tap Ma…

Board of Florida's only public HBCU picks a lobbyist with ties to DeSantis as its next president

By Kate Payne

Board of Florida’s only public HBCU picks a lobbyist with ties to DeSantis as its next president

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — The board of Florida’s only public historically Black university has chosen a lobbyist with ties to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the school’s next president, alarming students, faculty and alumni who are outraged by the governor’s efforts to restrict the teaching of African American history and ban public colleges from using taxpayer money on diversity programs. Florida A&M University’s Board of Trustees voted Friday to …

FAMU Students Protest Presidential Candidate with DeSantis Ties

Students at Florida A&M University, the state’s only public historically Black university, have protested the potential appointment of Marva Johnson as their next university president due to her ties to Governor Ron DeSantis and concerns over her lack of higher education administrative experience. The Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on the finalists today. The post FAMU Students Protest Presidential Candidate with DeSantis Ties appeared f…

MAGA Attempting Takeover Of Florida A&M University Amid Presidential Search

Controversy erupts at Florida A&M University after MAGA-aligned lobbyist Marva Johnson was added late to the presidential search finalist list, sparking backlash from alumni, the NAACP, and over 10,000 petition signers.