FAMU Alumni/Current Students

[litAKAtor]

Originally Posted by PhrozenGenius

WOOOO-SAAAA
WOOOO-SAAAA

Is everybody ok now?

Good...


Let's take all of our personal biases and love for HBCU's out of this. Let's look at this not in terms of black and white, no pun intended, but in green.

Florida A&M University, one of the PREMIER Educational Institutions in this land has hit a tough spot. 39 Million Dollars missing is a buttload of money...for ANYBODY. The problem is that everyone is looking for someone to blame, but no one is trying to find the ACTUAL root of the problem.

Had my state legislature, or anybody's for that matter, lost 39 million dollars (especially with 1.8 million disappearing into the pocket of a brother that mopped the floors) we would be pissed to no end. We would march, protest, and call for the beheading of the governor. We wouldn't say, "well this is Governor's Nogood's fault! I know he hasn't been in office in umpteen years but so what!" We wouldn't blame the mexican at the fruitstand outside the capital building because he was nearby either. We would PUSH for accountability. We would PUSH to the root. We woudl be filled with righteous anger and indignation at the situation, not at random people involved because it seems ok to do.

(Now let's bring color back into it)

I believe HBCU's are the lifeblood, the heart, and soul of black genius. I think they are integral part of the development of the mass black consciousness and vital to our existence in this country. However, just like the church, we don't like to take a strong look at our own problems. We don't criticize our HBCU's because we love them, just like we don't criticize the church because we feel it's almost blasphemous.

If we want to help our HBCU's we need to stop giving them the benefit of complete immunity within our community. We need to hold them to the same high standards that they hold the students to. It is LITERALLY open season on HBCU financial records.


39 Million...that's a lot of tax money...

Just like we chastise our children in love, lets start loving our HBCU's instead of simply saying we do. (AND THE CHURCH!)

Don't get me wrong - as I said - I do not hold A&M or its administration blameless . . .but at the same time the BORs turned a blind eye to things that were going on that weren't quite right for a long time b/c of Hump and their "fear" of him. I am very angry at the bad light my alma mater is in, but I do NOT appreciate nor encourage people to blanketly call for the school that has educated so many to close its doors. If this was UF or FSU or USF or any of the other public universities, these legislators would not be saying such things . . .it is downright disrespectful. As I stated, the problem took 10 years to make, it is going to take more than 10 minutes to fix. I LOVE MY SCHOOL and I will dayumed if I am going to let someone who did not walk on the hill and deal with what I dealt with disrespect my beloved university. . . .PERIOD!!!!

[PhrozenGenius]

I really wish there was an actual way to effect change in a place with ease. Until then, there really isn't. The people with the most sense aren't in power. Those in power won't listen to those with the most sense because they're typically not "on the inside."

So, we have two options:
1. Get together, throw caution to the wind and SHOUT, PROTEST, and PICKET!

or

2. We can bleach our skin pretend to be campaign contributors to state legislators and infiltrate the Good Ol' Boys Club...

The latter seems highly unlikely though...(BEWARE: Blanket Statement Approaching)
Come to think of it, the first does two. Black folks are hard to move, especially when they don't gain anything PERSONALLY from it.

[litAKAtor]

Originally Posted by PhrozenGenius

I really wish there was an actual way to effect change in a place with ease. Until then, there really isn't. The people with the most sense aren't in power. Those in power won't listen to those with the most sense because they're typically not "on the inside."

So, we have two options:
1. Get together, throw caution to the wind and SHOUT, PROTEST, and PICKET!

or

2. We can bleach our skin pretend to be campaign contributors to state legislators and infiltrate the Good Ol' Boys Club...

The latter seems highly unlikely though...(BEWARE: Blanket Statement Approaching)
Come to think of it, the first does two. Black folks are hard to move, especially when they don't gain anything PERSONALLY from it.

Sadly, I agree. I have written the legislators, and will be writing mine to condemn her for her ridiculous statements. Her consituency includes those people who graduated from that great school (but this is the same person that said, when they RE-opened FAMU's law school - loooong story about the autrocities surrounding that - short story FSU's law school used to be FAMU's- that it didn't matter if they opened up a law school for us- we still wouldn't be able to pass the bar . . .see dumb as a box of rocks and has diarreha of the mouth all the time!)

[PhrozenGenius]

FAMU has SO much to offer the entire community. Your rep is only echoing the sentiments of her peers within the legislature. The problem that we have as a people is that there are very few of us who take steps such as you have to make the wishes of the community known to their representatives in government. Thus, the stewards of the people are more "self-serving" capitalists with a penchant for resume fillers than anything.

Hey, look at it like this, at least you're not in Alabama.

[OrigamiTulip]

Part of this problem is caused by the fact that the bodies that are supposed to oversee higher education in Florida have been in a state of turmoil for the last few years. With all of the constant changes going on at the BOR/BOG/BOTs level, it not surprising that this problem wasn't addressed sooner, before it grew to be so out of control.

I sincerely hope that FAMU can get this resolved. Eleven public universities are not enough to serve the rapidly growing educational needs of Florida. We need to be expanding and developing all of the schools we currently have, and adding new institutions as well. Closing one of them would just compound the problem.