May 9, 2025 • 23 mins
Florida A&M University is in search of a new president. Several finalists have been put forward, including Marva Johnson, who has strong ties to Governor DeSantis and his anti-DEI, anti-Black history stances. Members of the community spoke out against candidate Johnson, calling her a “political plant.” Will the board of trustees appoint a MAGA-like president or listen to the will of the community?
Hosts Andrew Gillum, Tiffany Cross, and Angela Rye will discuss.
Sign this Open Letter Opposing Marva Johnson’s candidacy: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0inFaj-9nBcJ9GuV7UPoPEWTe5KV3l9qxetXHLR7PRtL6SA/viewform
If you’d like to submit a question, check out our tutorial video: www.instagram.com/reel/C5j_oBXLIg0/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio and partnership
with Recent Choice Media. Welcome Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome,
Welcome Home. Everybody this is They are Tiffany Cross and
Angela Riot. I'm Andrew Killham. You're tuned into this week's
mini pod and I wanted to talk about We didn't
(00:21):
get to talk about it in the general show, but
my experience right now in Florida and as a graduate
of fam you really bought this to the top of
the radar for me, and I know that it's a
story similar to many other HPCs around the country, and
that is FAMU right now is in this in the
hunt for a new permanent president. That process has been
(00:43):
opened for a while, received candidate applications for it, and
they've been shortlisted, and there's been lots said about the
behind the scenes process that has been undertaken by maybe
certain members of the Board of Trustees to produce a
certain outcome. In Florida, all conversations about votes about presidential searches,
(01:11):
they're in public, they're public records, the deliberations they're supposed
to be done publicly, and so we always find it
strange when you start hearing rumors of hey, that person's
already had eight votes, or you know, the other candidates
they're in there, but there's not a chance because we've
already picked the one. And it seems that there may
(01:32):
be some of that Shenanigan playing in this case, and
I wanted to broaden it out. Yes, we can talk
specifically about fam you, I know, I'm happy to. But
the truth is is, nationally we have seen under Republican
governors across the country in many states, if not if
they hadn't already had processes where boards of trustees or
(01:55):
governing boards of an institution are appointed by the governor,
sometimes boards of education and and and and whatnot. But
the end result is that it leads to a greater
politicization of the education system, where you basically get the
friends of the governor or friends of people in power
(02:16):
who end up getting named whether or not these people
are graduates of an institution, whether they have previously been
supporters of said institution, whether they believe HBCUs should exist
at all, And in some cases, just as we have
Betsy Davos at the Department of Education in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Someone who does not believe in the She's not there anymore,
but we had her there.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
The point being, the point I'm trying to make, and
I appreciate the correction, is that the politicization you put people,
you're putting foxes over henhouses.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, the man is there now and she literally is
there to abolish the body Slimmit.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
You are absolutely right. I used the Betsy example because
she's a big, big funder of charters, right, her family,
her philanthropic giving, all the things that she funds in
her and her family were toward charter schools and basically
taking public money and putting it into private institutions. Right.
But they're putting these positions over the same institutions they're
(03:20):
supposed to be shepherding, making sure are well resourced. They're
they're really in there to do a hatchet job. And
as Tiffany just pointed out, the current Secretary of McMahon
is it McMahon, Linda McMahon.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Linda McMahon.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, is similarly in the position to destroy the Department
of Education, to phase it out as a department, even
though we know Congress would would have to be required
in order for that to be accomplished. They're bringing well
it used to be. That's true when they have I
don't know what the rules.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Are anymore, and nobody Andrew. She was somewhere, I forget that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You all probably saw this clip, and she was somewhere
talking about a one education and a one education is
going to be taught in schools, and she supports a
one education. Do you know what this dizzy, half witted
idiot was trying to say AI? He was trying to
say AI and was and said A one numerous times.
(04:19):
This is the person they put in charge of the
Department of Education. This is not a serious administration at all.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Syfany I was about to say she got set up
by a stafford, but just have.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
To read this an idiot. She's not well versed, she's
not cultured.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
She's not the point that we need a good education system.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
You almost got to go out your way to not
know what AI means, like you almost have to, like
I refuse to read a paper ever to not know
about the intersection of AI and education.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Right now, but perusing your speech, you asked somebody what
is a one right?
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Right?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
If you are confused, you asked, But even if you like,
if that's something you're used to seeing which is written
about all the time, like you would see that and
immediately know it's not calling the DJ does, like you
know that there was between the made up department and
the actual Department of Justice. But before you get too
deep an education, can you just explain to me, like
(05:10):
you're talking to a five year old, what is the
deal at am you're.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Trying to hire a president?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Okay, and that church the governor appoints.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
No, the butter the governor appoints a board of trustees.
So if you if you're familiar with and by the way,
this may not exist everywhere for everybody. Florida a long
time ago used to have one one board that governed
all of our state universities. Jeff Bush, when he came in,
got rid of that one board who acted in the
(05:40):
interests per se of all of the state's higher education
institutions public institutions, and he replaced them with individual boards
of trustees at each college campus. So privates have always
largely existed this way. Each private school has a board
of trustees or of governance, but some one who sits
above the president to the so that the president would
(06:03):
be accountable to them. That politicization with these appointments coming
largely from political individuals, have created the circumstance where in
many instances the boards are not acting in the interest
of that campus, but are doing the bidding of their appointers.
So if their appointer is Ron de Santis and Rondo
(06:26):
Santis has decided that DEI is to be dead in
the state of Florida, and that any institution who continues
a policy where they value diversity, equity and inclusion they
can be if he has the power to remove them
or not appoint them, reappoint them again. It becomes a
(06:47):
cudgel over their heads where you either do my bidding
or you don't do bidding at all. You come off
the board. You understand what I mean by But how
would you.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Even kill DEI.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
At an HBCUs just say again Project twenty twenty five,
they actually are like that is not one of their targets.
They actually are okay with hbcs because they're like, yes,
send black people there. But the funding part, that part
is something that we have to question. The executive order
that Donald Trump, which we have to remind people, is
not a law. Executive orders are not laws, and so
(07:18):
I'm still confused on how you actually execute that, but
it didn't say any It was a bunch of nothing
to me in that, you know, I didn't really understand it.
So I'm curious because I think FAM you can be
the poster child on how worried and concerned we should be.
For HBC's I'm curious how this might go, like who
are the Is he looking to put a Republican as president?
(07:40):
Is he influencing the board of trustees?
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So again, all of these this is the stuff that
is happening behind the scenes. So I'm hesitant to say
who is doing what, and more interested in the fact
that the process is being disrupted that we can no
longer trust that the people who become finalists for these
jobs uh to lead these institutions are finalists because there's
(08:09):
a ringer in there. There were their finalists, because there's
somebody who is percolating to the top. In fam use case,
the candidate who is seen to be the one to
be the one who has come out appearing to have
the support of at least all the known Republicans that
I know who are on the board and who are
(08:32):
doing their level best to cozy up to the administration.
Are supporting this one candidate. This one candidate happens to
have never ever worked in higher education as an employee,
never been an administrator of a college, never been a president,
and is against being has been set up against candidates
(08:54):
who actually do have higher education experience. Provosts don't.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I don't want to do it.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
No, I'll say I'll say her name or name. Actually,
you know what. The reason why I'm not naming the
person is because I actually think the issue is bigger
than the individual. The issue that I really have with
it is politics being used to maneuver a process which
is supposed to be about fam you and famuse, famuse
(09:22):
future and what is in the best interest of the
institution that is being hijacked by not?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Is it Marv Marva Johnson.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Marva Johnson is the candidate that is being championed. Yes,
and we again, I'm not afraid.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Vice President for State Government Affairs at Charter Communications.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, the other people come from. Yes.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Ronde Allen, Provosts and Vice President for af Academic Affairs
at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Gerald Hector.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Somebody's doorbells ring and it's not my this time.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Gerald Heger definitely, it's definitely somebody else.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
And your vice president for Administration and Finance and University
of Central Florida and Donald Palm who's the executive vice
president and COO at FAMU. Marva Johnson is a group
vice president for State Government Affairs at Charter Communications, correct.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
The state Charter.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
So to the point, we would expect that in evaluating
the candidate for president of the largest single campus HBCU
in the country, the largest producer of black bacalaureate, masterial,
and doctoral degree holders amongst black folk in the state
of Florida and leading in the country, would have a
president who has some experience at running in institution of
(10:53):
higher education.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Are all these folks black?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Uh? Those to my knowledge? Yes?
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Okay Marvel Marvel went to Georgetown.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, I mean she has to college and she has degrees.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And is she a Republican? She's a mega supporter. What's
her Yes?
Speaker 1 (11:11):
In fact, some of the look I don't know her
personal party affiliation. I do know in the spaces in
which she works where a lot of their political money goes.
And the fact that she is a support of Rohnda
Scantist and there is a campaign that refers to her
as Maga Marva.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
Well Maga Marva is or was a commissioner appointed of
the state Board. The appointed a constitution revision commission. She
was a commissioner on that appointed by the governor. Looks
like in twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, I'm just trying to
figure out what prepares Marva to be the president of
(11:52):
the college. It says that she's loyalty served as chair.
So she served as chair of the Florida State Board
of Education. It says that she said, I'm not I'm
not saying this is run. I'm just trying to figure
out what they would argue grounds her.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
What they're arguing, I don't mind sharing that she can
she because of her corporate contacts, that she can raise
money for Florida A and M University. And by the way,
anybody who's ever applied to lead an organization or job
commits to being able to raise godly on some you know,
godly amounts of money. Uh. And guess what after they
(12:30):
get the job, giving stays about where it is and
and problem, you know, life goes on and nobody removes
that person because they failed to bring on godly amounts
of money to the institution.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
What's needed, Andrew, because to me, this is a big deal,
pretty serious, and I didn't quite understand it when you
were saying it before, but now that I'm hearing you,
this is actually a very serious issue that needs urgent attention.
I'm thinking about all the family alumni who we know,
you included. We cannot put the hand like our precious HBCUs.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
In the hands of MAGA.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
People give them we see any higher education exp like
I'm going through an.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Outside of that. Like, to me, that's not the biggest flag.
The biggest flags of me is that she's MAGA and
b flag for me is that she has no I don't.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
Think the higher education administrator. And in order to be
considered for a vice president role, let alone of president,
you have to have had some years of experience in
higher education.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
She doesn't have ANGELA, it doesn't her qualifications do not
even meet with FAM. You advertise this as needing for
the position.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
And then here's the thing that makes it even worse.
And I'm just gonna call a thing a thing. You're
you want to constantly come at us about black folks
who don't meet qualifications, and that's d I and then
they go and get somebody who was remarkably unqualified to
drill home their point that we're not quality.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
That is not our choosing, that's y'all's choosing. We ain't choosing.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
When we talked about HEXF and we talked about the
Joint chiefs of Staffs person where the President had to
waive the qualifications for the position in order to get
the black man out and put his person in. My concern, y'all,
is for fam you most immediately, but it is for
our institutions, our institutions that are being politicized and overly politicized,
(14:29):
where you can't no longer trust these processes to deliver
a candidate who's most qualified and best for the institution,
but rather one who is most reliable to ensuring the
agenda of said politician.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
I think one of the biggest concerns I have to
andrew in terms of putting our HBCUs in these hands,
like we've seen what happened at other institutions of higher education,
starting Columbia, like they are turning over universities are capitulating
to this administration, turning over sensitive data, private information about
the student body there and so often, but even before
(15:06):
we get to curriculum. The very specific thing that concerns me.
When we talk about immigration, we rarely think about black immigrants.
But there are a huge number of black people who
attend HBCUs who.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Were not born in America.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And so if you put a MAGA person over fam you,
that means people who may have been born in Jamaica
who are attending school, people who've been born on the
continent in Nigeria, like I know at c AU and
AUC there were all types of foreign born students attending school,
and so you could you could be doing things like
inviting ice on campus to now deport to the government's
(15:41):
disappearing people and are just even our personal like our
social security number everything, you're turning that over And to
your point andree the protest laws in in Florida, that's
really serious.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
And in the country. I think, if I know, we've
got to rap on this, and I regret that I
didn't do that as complete a job at highlighting I
think the real concerns here of me as an alumnus
of an HBCU very specifically fam you. But to give
you one example, we have student leaders who are not
(16:20):
prepared to weigh into this fight because they're in fear
of what would happen to them if they opposed a
candidate of choice. Would they would they somehow figure out
a way to keep their degrees from them? Would they
somehow figure out a way that the letters of recommendation
for graduate school or to law school or medical school
could be withheld by administrators because they opposed a candidate
(16:46):
for president. This is terrifying because the university environment is
exactly where you would expect to see protests where you
exactly expect to see young people who are enlightened standing
up and saying not here, not today, not now, not ever.
And now our folks, who generally, at this stage in
(17:06):
their lives are free to express their free opinions, are
no longer free because they've got to be concerned at
what they see happening at the federal level, where folks
are being disappeared on the street because of political disagreement.
So what all I'm saying is that the efforts that
(17:26):
we are seeing happen nationally are trickling down such to
the point that even at a state institution HBCU, folks
are in fear of retribution for saying I just want
to qualify candidate to be my president. I just saying,
I just want someone who is going to look out
for our best interests first and foremost.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I just say, because we only have three minutes left,
what is the most urgent ass like, what can we
need right now?
Speaker 1 (17:54):
There is a letter circulating for rattlers, students, fans of FAM,
youse support orders of the Institution. You all could sign,
myself included to say one, we want somebody with experience
who meets the minimum qualifications to be considered for the presidency.
So eliminate those who don't meet that criteria. They may not,
(18:17):
but we then secondly, we'll call that person out for you.
If you can't tell from their resume in your interview
that they're not qualified, let us just simply go to
the record. Let's look at the facts. Tell me where
this person meets the qualifications for higher education governance. You see, you,
we can't just have a president who fundraises. We can't
(18:37):
just have a president who is an administrator. We can't
just have a president who understands the goals and the
missions of historically black universities and understands the special character
of FAM. You as a state institution who doesn't believe
and the legacy of HBCUs and the fact that we
were shut out of every other state school until fam
You got created eighteen eighty seven, and at that point
(19:00):
we have produced exactly the kind of outcomes you would
want to see in exemplary fashion. But if we have
a president who doesn't believe in HBCUs, who is willing
to capitulate to what the governor says we ought to
be and what we ought to do, and who's doing
the bidding of a maga, then we begin the destruction
(19:21):
of ourselves. And we cannot be sleep walking during this time.
So my call is one wake up to get that letter,
Sign that letter, and we could make it available on
the post notes. You know how to access it. But
it is moving around rather organically now to folks to
raise the specter that y'all can't come here and do
anything and treat us any kind of way just because
(19:43):
we the Black school, and that if you come for us,
we're coming back for you. So my hope is that
we could get some real justice out of this process,
and justice to me would be the appointment of a qualified,
fully qualified individual to the position and quite Frankly, the
other candidates meet the minimum requirements, So why are we
(20:06):
being played? Why the politics on us?
Speaker 4 (20:10):
I just went through this lady's whole resume, like the
one that she submitted.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
To FAM you, and it's still no.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
I'm literally the.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Only education experience she has is being appointed by Rick
Scott and then being appointed to a different board by
Ron de Santis. It doesn't make any sense. She has
no experience at the Florida College Foundation board. She's on
the Pace Academy for Girls. She's on the Florida Scholars
Academy board appointed by DeSantis and the Florida State Board
(20:42):
of Education for eight years. There is no other higher
education k through tale of education pre early child, no
other experience in education, at least not listed on her
resume that she submitted for the presidential search, without which
I would find interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Yeah, for sure. It's just it's sickening for them to
think that they can just throw anything at us and
that we're going to be okay. And that to me
is a reflection of their vowe where they value us
and you can't value me and send me somebody who
ain't never run no institution, FAM you when it advertises
(21:17):
for its president. We ought to be getting the krem
de la creme of candidates and higher education coming to
apply for these positions. The reason we are not is
because real academics aren't interested in the politics. They're not
interested in being a do boy or a do girl
for Governor X or y or Z. They're there in
(21:38):
service to the institution. And Marvin may be a very
good person as an individual. I'm not assaulting that. What
I'm assaulting is the very clear absence of qualifications for
the position that she seeks. And because I love FAM you,
and because I love our HBCUs, we can't let our
banner institutions fall at this level.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Of an.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
She got a her resume that's quoted named Roscoe Young.
He runs something called the Young Kinsley Technology Group, and
that ain't even based in Florida.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Did he go to FAM? You do you know Roscoe?
See Young? Andrew.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I don't know Roscoe. I know some Roscoe's all right.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Well on that note, welcome home, y'all anyway, Yeah, welcome
FAM you alumni step up though, this.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Is this is just staying with you, HBCUs. Period. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
If Roscoe Young didn't go to FAM, and she didn't
quote him. I don't know why y'all got me down
this rabbit hole, but I'm down it.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Well it's a rabbit hole because it's it's a it's
a mess.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Well, hopefully you keep us posted, Andrew. Maybe on the
next episode we'll talk.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
More about what it's all being decided, y'all in the
next twelve to eighteen days. Just no things are moving.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Thanks for tuning in to the mini pod, you guys.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Thanks for Native lampard is the production of iHeartRadio in
partnership with Recent Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
(23:15):
visit iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio and partnership
with Recent Choice Media. Welcome Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome,
Welcome Home. Everybody this is They are Tiffany Cross and
Angela Riot. I'm Andrew Killham. You're tuned into this week's
mini pod and I wanted to talk about We didn't
(00:21):
get to talk about it in the general show, but
my experience right now in Florida and as a graduate
of fam you really bought this to the top of
the radar for me, and I know that it's a
story similar to many other HPCs around the country, and
that is FAMU right now is in this in the
hunt for a new permanent president. That process has been
(00:43):
opened for a while, received candidate applications for it, and
they've been shortlisted, and there's been lots said about the
behind the scenes process that has been undertaken by maybe
certain members of the Board of Trustees to produce a
certain outcome. In Florida, all conversations about votes about presidential searches,
(01:11):
they're in public, they're public records, the deliberations they're supposed
to be done publicly, and so we always find it
strange when you start hearing rumors of hey, that person's
already had eight votes, or you know, the other candidates
they're in there, but there's not a chance because we've
already picked the one. And it seems that there may
(01:32):
be some of that Shenanigan playing in this case, and
I wanted to broaden it out. Yes, we can talk
specifically about fam you, I know, I'm happy to. But
the truth is is, nationally we have seen under Republican
governors across the country in many states, if not if
they hadn't already had processes where boards of trustees or
(01:55):
governing boards of an institution are appointed by the governor,
sometimes boards of education and and and and whatnot. But
the end result is that it leads to a greater
politicization of the education system, where you basically get the
friends of the governor or friends of people in power
(02:16):
who end up getting named whether or not these people
are graduates of an institution, whether they have previously been
supporters of said institution, whether they believe HBCUs should exist
at all, And in some cases, just as we have
Betsy Davos at the Department of Education in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Someone who does not believe in the She's not there anymore,
but we had her there.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
The point being, the point I'm trying to make, and
I appreciate the correction, is that the politicization you put people,
you're putting foxes over henhouses.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, the man is there now and she literally is
there to abolish the body Slimmit.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
You are absolutely right. I used the Betsy example because
she's a big, big funder of charters, right, her family,
her philanthropic giving, all the things that she funds in
her and her family were toward charter schools and basically
taking public money and putting it into private institutions. Right.
But they're putting these positions over the same institutions they're
(03:20):
supposed to be shepherding, making sure are well resourced. They're
they're really in there to do a hatchet job. And
as Tiffany just pointed out, the current Secretary of McMahon
is it McMahon, Linda McMahon.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Linda McMahon.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, is similarly in the position to destroy the Department
of Education, to phase it out as a department, even
though we know Congress would would have to be required
in order for that to be accomplished. They're bringing well
it used to be. That's true when they have I
don't know what the rules.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Are anymore, and nobody Andrew. She was somewhere, I forget that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You all probably saw this clip, and she was somewhere
talking about a one education and a one education is
going to be taught in schools, and she supports a
one education. Do you know what this dizzy, half witted
idiot was trying to say AI? He was trying to
say AI and was and said A one numerous times.
(04:19):
This is the person they put in charge of the
Department of Education. This is not a serious administration at all.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Syfany I was about to say she got set up
by a stafford, but just have.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
To read this an idiot. She's not well versed, she's
not cultured.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
She's not the point that we need a good education system.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
You almost got to go out your way to not
know what AI means, like you almost have to, like
I refuse to read a paper ever to not know
about the intersection of AI and education.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Right now, but perusing your speech, you asked somebody what
is a one right?
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Right?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
If you are confused, you asked, But even if you like,
if that's something you're used to seeing which is written
about all the time, like you would see that and
immediately know it's not calling the DJ does, like you
know that there was between the made up department and
the actual Department of Justice. But before you get too
deep an education, can you just explain to me, like
(05:10):
you're talking to a five year old, what is the
deal at am you're.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Trying to hire a president?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Okay, and that church the governor appoints.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
No, the butter the governor appoints a board of trustees.
So if you if you're familiar with and by the way,
this may not exist everywhere for everybody. Florida a long
time ago used to have one one board that governed
all of our state universities. Jeff Bush, when he came in,
got rid of that one board who acted in the
(05:40):
interests per se of all of the state's higher education
institutions public institutions, and he replaced them with individual boards
of trustees at each college campus. So privates have always
largely existed this way. Each private school has a board
of trustees or of governance, but some one who sits
above the president to the so that the president would
(06:03):
be accountable to them. That politicization with these appointments coming
largely from political individuals, have created the circumstance where in
many instances the boards are not acting in the interest
of that campus, but are doing the bidding of their appointers.
So if their appointer is Ron de Santis and Rondo
(06:26):
Santis has decided that DEI is to be dead in
the state of Florida, and that any institution who continues
a policy where they value diversity, equity and inclusion they
can be if he has the power to remove them
or not appoint them, reappoint them again. It becomes a
(06:47):
cudgel over their heads where you either do my bidding
or you don't do bidding at all. You come off
the board. You understand what I mean by But how
would you.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Even kill DEI.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
At an HBCUs just say again Project twenty twenty five,
they actually are like that is not one of their targets.
They actually are okay with hbcs because they're like, yes,
send black people there. But the funding part, that part
is something that we have to question. The executive order
that Donald Trump, which we have to remind people, is
not a law. Executive orders are not laws, and so
(07:18):
I'm still confused on how you actually execute that, but
it didn't say any It was a bunch of nothing
to me in that, you know, I didn't really understand it.
So I'm curious because I think FAM you can be
the poster child on how worried and concerned we should be.
For HBC's I'm curious how this might go, like who
are the Is he looking to put a Republican as president?
(07:40):
Is he influencing the board of trustees?
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So again, all of these this is the stuff that
is happening behind the scenes. So I'm hesitant to say
who is doing what, and more interested in the fact
that the process is being disrupted that we can no
longer trust that the people who become finalists for these
jobs uh to lead these institutions are finalists because there's
(08:09):
a ringer in there. There were their finalists, because there's
somebody who is percolating to the top. In fam use case,
the candidate who is seen to be the one to
be the one who has come out appearing to have
the support of at least all the known Republicans that
I know who are on the board and who are
(08:32):
doing their level best to cozy up to the administration.
Are supporting this one candidate. This one candidate happens to
have never ever worked in higher education as an employee,
never been an administrator of a college, never been a president,
and is against being has been set up against candidates
(08:54):
who actually do have higher education experience. Provosts don't.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I don't want to do it.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
No, I'll say I'll say her name or name. Actually,
you know what. The reason why I'm not naming the
person is because I actually think the issue is bigger
than the individual. The issue that I really have with
it is politics being used to maneuver a process which
is supposed to be about fam you and famuse, famuse
(09:22):
future and what is in the best interest of the
institution that is being hijacked by not?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Is it Marv Marva Johnson.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Marva Johnson is the candidate that is being championed. Yes,
and we again, I'm not afraid.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Vice President for State Government Affairs at Charter Communications.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, the other people come from. Yes.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Ronde Allen, Provosts and Vice President for af Academic Affairs
at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Gerald Hector.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Somebody's doorbells ring and it's not my this time.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Gerald Heger definitely, it's definitely somebody else.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
And your vice president for Administration and Finance and University
of Central Florida and Donald Palm who's the executive vice
president and COO at FAMU. Marva Johnson is a group
vice president for State Government Affairs at Charter Communications, correct.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
The state Charter.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
So to the point, we would expect that in evaluating
the candidate for president of the largest single campus HBCU
in the country, the largest producer of black bacalaureate, masterial,
and doctoral degree holders amongst black folk in the state
of Florida and leading in the country, would have a
president who has some experience at running in institution of
(10:53):
higher education.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Are all these folks black?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Uh? Those to my knowledge? Yes?
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Okay Marvel Marvel went to Georgetown.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, I mean she has to college and she has degrees.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And is she a Republican? She's a mega supporter. What's
her Yes?
Speaker 1 (11:11):
In fact, some of the look I don't know her
personal party affiliation. I do know in the spaces in
which she works where a lot of their political money goes.
And the fact that she is a support of Rohnda
Scantist and there is a campaign that refers to her
as Maga Marva.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
Well Maga Marva is or was a commissioner appointed of
the state Board. The appointed a constitution revision commission. She
was a commissioner on that appointed by the governor. Looks
like in twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, I'm just trying to
figure out what prepares Marva to be the president of
(11:52):
the college. It says that she's loyalty served as chair.
So she served as chair of the Florida State Board
of Education. It says that she said, I'm not I'm
not saying this is run. I'm just trying to figure
out what they would argue grounds her.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
What they're arguing, I don't mind sharing that she can
she because of her corporate contacts, that she can raise
money for Florida A and M University. And by the way,
anybody who's ever applied to lead an organization or job
commits to being able to raise godly on some you know,
godly amounts of money. Uh. And guess what after they
(12:30):
get the job, giving stays about where it is and
and problem, you know, life goes on and nobody removes
that person because they failed to bring on godly amounts
of money to the institution.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
What's needed, Andrew, because to me, this is a big deal,
pretty serious, and I didn't quite understand it when you
were saying it before, but now that I'm hearing you,
this is actually a very serious issue that needs urgent attention.
I'm thinking about all the family alumni who we know,
you included. We cannot put the hand like our precious HBCUs.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
In the hands of MAGA.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
People give them we see any higher education exp like
I'm going through an.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Outside of that. Like, to me, that's not the biggest flag.
The biggest flags of me is that she's MAGA and
b flag for me is that she has no I don't.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
Think the higher education administrator. And in order to be
considered for a vice president role, let alone of president,
you have to have had some years of experience in
higher education.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
She doesn't have ANGELA, it doesn't her qualifications do not
even meet with FAM. You advertise this as needing for
the position.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
And then here's the thing that makes it even worse.
And I'm just gonna call a thing a thing. You're
you want to constantly come at us about black folks
who don't meet qualifications, and that's d I and then
they go and get somebody who was remarkably unqualified to
drill home their point that we're not quality.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
That is not our choosing, that's y'all's choosing. We ain't choosing.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
When we talked about HEXF and we talked about the
Joint chiefs of Staffs person where the President had to
waive the qualifications for the position in order to get
the black man out and put his person in. My concern, y'all,
is for fam you most immediately, but it is for
our institutions, our institutions that are being politicized and overly politicized,
(14:29):
where you can't no longer trust these processes to deliver
a candidate who's most qualified and best for the institution,
but rather one who is most reliable to ensuring the
agenda of said politician.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
I think one of the biggest concerns I have to
andrew in terms of putting our HBCUs in these hands,
like we've seen what happened at other institutions of higher education,
starting Columbia, like they are turning over universities are capitulating
to this administration, turning over sensitive data, private information about
the student body there and so often, but even before
(15:06):
we get to curriculum. The very specific thing that concerns me.
When we talk about immigration, we rarely think about black immigrants.
But there are a huge number of black people who
attend HBCUs who.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Were not born in America.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And so if you put a MAGA person over fam you,
that means people who may have been born in Jamaica
who are attending school, people who've been born on the
continent in Nigeria, like I know at c AU and
AUC there were all types of foreign born students attending school,
and so you could you could be doing things like
inviting ice on campus to now deport to the government's
(15:41):
disappearing people and are just even our personal like our
social security number everything, you're turning that over And to
your point andree the protest laws in in Florida, that's
really serious.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
And in the country. I think, if I know, we've
got to rap on this, and I regret that I
didn't do that as complete a job at highlighting I
think the real concerns here of me as an alumnus
of an HBCU very specifically fam you. But to give
you one example, we have student leaders who are not
(16:20):
prepared to weigh into this fight because they're in fear
of what would happen to them if they opposed a
candidate of choice. Would they would they somehow figure out
a way to keep their degrees from them? Would they
somehow figure out a way that the letters of recommendation
for graduate school or to law school or medical school
could be withheld by administrators because they opposed a candidate
(16:46):
for president. This is terrifying because the university environment is
exactly where you would expect to see protests where you
exactly expect to see young people who are enlightened standing
up and saying not here, not today, not now, not ever.
And now our folks, who generally, at this stage in
(17:06):
their lives are free to express their free opinions, are
no longer free because they've got to be concerned at
what they see happening at the federal level, where folks
are being disappeared on the street because of political disagreement.
So what all I'm saying is that the efforts that
(17:26):
we are seeing happen nationally are trickling down such to
the point that even at a state institution HBCU, folks
are in fear of retribution for saying I just want
to qualify candidate to be my president. I just saying,
I just want someone who is going to look out
for our best interests first and foremost.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I just say, because we only have three minutes left,
what is the most urgent ass like, what can we
need right now?
Speaker 1 (17:54):
There is a letter circulating for rattlers, students, fans of FAM,
youse support orders of the Institution. You all could sign,
myself included to say one, we want somebody with experience
who meets the minimum qualifications to be considered for the presidency.
So eliminate those who don't meet that criteria. They may not,
(18:17):
but we then secondly, we'll call that person out for you.
If you can't tell from their resume in your interview
that they're not qualified, let us just simply go to
the record. Let's look at the facts. Tell me where
this person meets the qualifications for higher education governance. You see, you,
we can't just have a president who fundraises. We can't
(18:37):
just have a president who is an administrator. We can't
just have a president who understands the goals and the
missions of historically black universities and understands the special character
of FAM. You as a state institution who doesn't believe
and the legacy of HBCUs and the fact that we
were shut out of every other state school until fam
You got created eighteen eighty seven, and at that point
(19:00):
we have produced exactly the kind of outcomes you would
want to see in exemplary fashion. But if we have
a president who doesn't believe in HBCUs, who is willing
to capitulate to what the governor says we ought to
be and what we ought to do, and who's doing
the bidding of a maga, then we begin the destruction
(19:21):
of ourselves. And we cannot be sleep walking during this time.
So my call is one wake up to get that letter,
Sign that letter, and we could make it available on
the post notes. You know how to access it. But
it is moving around rather organically now to folks to
raise the specter that y'all can't come here and do
anything and treat us any kind of way just because
(19:43):
we the Black school, and that if you come for us,
we're coming back for you. So my hope is that
we could get some real justice out of this process,
and justice to me would be the appointment of a qualified,
fully qualified individual to the position and quite Frankly, the
other candidates meet the minimum requirements, So why are we
(20:06):
being played? Why the politics on us?
Speaker 4 (20:10):
I just went through this lady's whole resume, like the
one that she submitted.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
To FAM you, and it's still no.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
I'm literally the.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Only education experience she has is being appointed by Rick
Scott and then being appointed to a different board by
Ron de Santis. It doesn't make any sense. She has
no experience at the Florida College Foundation board. She's on
the Pace Academy for Girls. She's on the Florida Scholars
Academy board appointed by DeSantis and the Florida State Board
(20:42):
of Education for eight years. There is no other higher
education k through tale of education pre early child, no
other experience in education, at least not listed on her
resume that she submitted for the presidential search, without which
I would find interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Yeah, for sure. It's just it's sickening for them to
think that they can just throw anything at us and
that we're going to be okay. And that to me
is a reflection of their vowe where they value us
and you can't value me and send me somebody who
ain't never run no institution, FAM you when it advertises
(21:17):
for its president. We ought to be getting the krem
de la creme of candidates and higher education coming to
apply for these positions. The reason we are not is
because real academics aren't interested in the politics. They're not
interested in being a do boy or a do girl
for Governor X or y or Z. They're there in
(21:38):
service to the institution. And Marvin may be a very
good person as an individual. I'm not assaulting that. What
I'm assaulting is the very clear absence of qualifications for
the position that she seeks. And because I love FAM you,
and because I love our HBCUs, we can't let our
banner institutions fall at this level.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Of an.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
She got a her resume that's quoted named Roscoe Young.
He runs something called the Young Kinsley Technology Group, and
that ain't even based in Florida.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Did he go to FAM? You do you know Roscoe?
See Young? Andrew.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I don't know Roscoe. I know some Roscoe's all right.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Well on that note, welcome home, y'all anyway, Yeah, welcome
FAM you alumni step up though, this.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Is this is just staying with you, HBCUs. Period. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
If Roscoe Young didn't go to FAM, and she didn't
quote him. I don't know why y'all got me down
this rabbit hole, but I'm down it.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Well it's a rabbit hole because it's it's a it's
a mess.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Well, hopefully you keep us posted, Andrew. Maybe on the
next episode we'll talk.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
More about what it's all being decided, y'all in the
next twelve to eighteen days. Just no things are moving.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Thanks for tuning in to the mini pod, you guys.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
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