The presidential search for Florida’s pre-eminent historically Black university, Florida A&M University (FAMU), continues in Tallahassee, but not without controversy over the process. Many in the FAMU community believe that one candidate, Marva Johnson, was added to the Board of Trustees interview list under suspicious circumstances, after three other candidates had been decided upon, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Some in the FAMU community, including filmmaker Will Packer, believe that Johnson, a former member of Florida’s Board of Education and appointed to other boards by current Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Republican Gov. Rick Scott, was forced onto the list by FAMU board Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons, a claim he has denied.
Johnson conducted her interview with the FAMU Board of Trustees on Wednesday, May 14. Two other candidates, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Rondall Allen, and University of Central Florida Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Gerald Hector, have already completed their interviews. FAMU’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Donald Palm, is set to interview on May 15; he has drawn support from the FAMU community and alumni groups.
Johnson is aware of the scrutiny behind her opportunity to interview and the process by which it unfolded. Before interviewing with the board, she acknowledged the opposition to her candidacy, saying, “I saw at least one media post where someone asked, ‘How did she get here?’”
Some of that opposition online has come from some of the university’s most famous and most vocal alumni, including filmmaker, producer, and FAMU alumnus Will Packer, who was present for Johnson’s interview. In a March 9 video posted to Instagram, Packer said, “HBCUs are under attack. MAGA is trying to take over leadership at several of our beloved institutions. Right now, FAMU is in the bullseye. Hear me loud and clear.”
Packer continued, “Florida Republicans who sit on the presidential search committee have named Marva Johnson a finalist for the FAMU presidency. Let me tell you a little bit about Marva Johnson. She is a career lobbyist with no experience in higher education administration.”
Packer said his opposition to Johnson is “not just about her being a staunch Republican,” clarifying, “Everyone has a right to their own political affiliations.” However, he said the beloved institution cannot allow a “hostile takeover by someone who is aligned with a party that has loudly and proudly espoused ideologies that attack diversity and diverse institutions, attack equitable economics, and attack inclusive principles.”
The famed Hollywood producer said diversity, equity, and inclusion are “the exact pillars that institutions like FAMU were built upon.”
Former mayor of Tallahassee, Andrew Gillum, also shared a post on Instagram in opposition to Johnson, saying, “Today is the day that a horrifically unqualified political plant, Marva Johnson, will interview for the presidency at Florida A&M University, the #1 Public HBCU per U.S. News & World Report.”
At the end of her interview, Johnson noted the controversy behind her addition to the interview process: “Thank you for the trust you’ve put in the presidential search committee and the effort that you’ve made to run a process that’s protective and transparent. I know it’s been impacted by a few difficulties, but I appreciate the effort.”
The FAMU Board of Trustees is expected to meet on May 16 to vote on one candidate who will then move forward for a final interview and confirmation from the Florida Board of Governors.
