Blavity-U

Marva Johnson, the controversial pick to lead HBCU Florida A&M University, is now official, with final approval of her appointment concluded on Wednesday. Her appointment continues to be controversial with the FAMU community, with a number of voices expressing their concerns during Wednesday’s meeting. Johnson, meanwhile,

Johnson appointed as FAMU students, alumni claim she’s ‘not ready’ for position

The Florida Board of Governors, the board that oversees FAMU, voted to confirm Johnson’s appointment during a contentious meeting with members of the university’s community on Wednesday. During the comments portion of the meeting, several current and former students spoke up to reiterate their disapproval of Johnson, who was selected in an 8-4 vote by the university’s trustees in May.

“Marva Johnson is not ready to lead the nation’s No. 1 public HBCU,” said Kim Godwin, an FAMU alumna who was previously head of ABC News. “She does not have the best resume. She did not have a good on-campus interview. She appeared unprepared and short-sighted and did not present well to our stakeholders,” Godwin said.

Computer engineering student Devin Nobles Jr. declared that “as students, as primary stakeholders in this university, we are very concerned about the future of our university.” Nobles objected that “If you guys confirm this candidate, it is to reaffirm to all of us — our students, our faculty, our staff, alumni, the 18,000 people who signed a petition online — that our voices do not matter.” As Nobles notes, an online petition opposing Johnson’s appointment gathered over 18,000 signatures.

Facing ‘MAGA Marva’ accusations, Johnson seeks to address concerns

As Blavity previously reported, the selection of Johnson has been controversial throughout the FAMU community due to her ties to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has promoted an “anti-woke” agenda within the state, and Republican Senator Rick Scott. Johnson had been nicknamed “MAGA Marva” for her ties to the conservative GOP politicians. She has also been criticized for her lack of public education experience, with several other more qualified candidates being passed over in favor of Johnson.

Johnson sought to alleviate concerns about her appointment, telling those gathered at Wednesday’s meeting, “I am listening, I hear your hope, I hear your dreams and I hear your concerns.” Johnson pledged that “my door will always be open, and I’m looking forward to full engagement on campus and in our communities.” Johnson also spoke about her plans for the university, which include plans to diversify the university’s funding sources, with less reliance on government funding and more collaboration with entrepreneurs, among other goals.

It remains to be seen whether Johnson will succeed in her goals for FAMU and if she will be able to adequately address the worries that current and former students of the university have about her fitness for the job. Time will also tell whether or not Johnson will seek to implement the conservative agenda pushed by her political allies or if she will try to carve out a different path as leader of one of the nation’s most prominent HBCUs.

Most HBCUs are located in broadband deserts, leaving students lacking access to the internet. Some schools and organizations are trying to change that despite federal funding having been pulled.

A 2021 McKinsey report indicated that 82% of HBCUs are located in broadband deserts. They either lack access to a good internet connection or don’t have access to it at all.

The impact of the lack of internet access at HBCUS

This issue has a direct impact on students, who need access to online resources to complete their studies and submit assignments.

A student shared her struggle in an email with Claflin University President Dwaun J. Warmack, Ph.D.

“It is my prayer that Claflin’s passion for education aligns with its compassion. I am currently typing my senior research paper at the local McDonald’s that I drive to nine miles every day to do this work because my town doesn’t have Wi-Fi bandwidth,” CNET reported she wrote years ago.

To remedy the issue, Claflin partnered with the Student Freedom Initiative, a nonprofit organization working to bridge the wealth gap through education. In 2023, it partnered with Cisco in order to provide 5G internet service on Claflin’s campus.

“The only way for students to actually get access to content was to come together in areas that provided [broadband] access, which created a problem,” Student Freedom Initiative President and CEO Keith Shoates told CNET.

According to a Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies report, broadband deserts are primarily in the Black Rural South, in 152 counties across states that include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

SFI has worked with several HBCUs in areas lacking internet access, including Alabama’s Tuskegee University, Florida A&M University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Hampton University in Virginia.

How is the government addressing the issue?

In May, President Donald Trump called for an end to the Digital Equity Act, which he called “RACIST and ILLEGAL” and was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021. The initiative was passed to help close the gap regarding internet access. According to CNET, the Affordable Connectivity Program, a pandemic-era initiative that helped low-income households pay for internet access, was terminated in May 2024.

Warmack emphasized the importance of federal funding in helping provide access to an internet connection. In the past, Claflin received a $2.9 million grant from the Connecting Minority Community Project via the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. It contributed to internet access being offered on and around campus.

Despite recent changes made by the Trump administration, SFI is still working to give HBCU students internet access.

“We’re still moving forward because the problem still exists,” Shoates said.