Betraying the Rattler Legacy: How FAMU’s Presidential Pick Is a Political Setup

The selection of Marva Johnson, who has ties to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and no experience leading a university, is an attempt to undermine one of the top HBCUs in the country.

(2C2K Photography/Wikimedia Commons)

Florida A&M University — the crown jewel of public HBCUs and my beloved alma mater — has been sold out in broad daylight. On Friday, in an 8-4 vote, the university’s Board of Trustees handed the presidency to Marva Johnson, a politically connected telecommunications executive with zero experience in higher education leadership. This wasn’t just a poor choice — it was premeditated, coordinated and dripping with political favoritism.

Let’s get into the facts.

Johnson didn’t emerge from a fair process — she was injected into it. Her candidacy was bolstered by a board stacked with Ron DeSantis loyalists, and the usual vetting standards were ignored. The interviews and presentations? Theater. The outcome? Already decided.

Johnson, who has ties to DeSantis, demanded a $750,000 base salary — plus incentives — even though she has never led a university, managed an academic budget or overseen a single campus. No other candidate asked for more than $500,000. This wasn’t a merit-based negotiation — it was a payout for political loyalty.

This was never about qualifications. It was always about control.

A Legacy of Undermining FAMU

Let’s be clear — this betrayal didn’t start with Marva Johnson. It’s part of a 30-year campaign to undercut Black excellence in Florida, led by Republican governors from Jeb Bush to Rick Scott to Ron DeSantis. For decades, FAMU has faced chronic underfunding, political interference and systemic neglect — even as it rose to become one of the top public HBCUs in the nation.

• In 2022, FAMU joined other HBCUs in demanding $1.9 billion in unpaid funding from the state.

• Under Jeb Bush in the early 2000s, FAMU saw millions in cuts while PWI counterparts like the University of Florida and Florida State University received budget increases.

• Just blocks away, FSU has been showered with billions in state support. Meanwhile, FAMU students are forced to live in crumbling dorms and attend classes in outdated facilities.

This isn’t negligence — it’s targeted sabotage. And the Board of Trustees, the majority of whom are Black, just handed our institution over to the very forces working to dismantle it. Do they think we’ll accept this betrayal more easily because it came in familiar packaging?

PWIs like the University of Florida, Florida State University and University of Central Florida enjoy robust funding, expansive campuses and autonomy in choosing their leadership. FAMU? We get micromanaged, underfunded and politically manipulated. That’s not equity. That’s colonization, executed by handpicked gatekeepers.

The Judas Bloc on the Board

Let’s call them what they are: the Judas Bloc. The Black trustees who voted for this sham appointment didn’t just betray the students — they betrayed every graduate, every faculty member and every ancestor who fought for this institution’s survival.

You weren’t appointed to uplift FAMU — you were installed to neutralize it. You’re not trustees. You’re Trojan horses. And we see you.

You ignored student protests demanding fairness. You dismissed faculty calls for transparency. You disrespected alumni who simply wanted a president aligned with our values and vision. Instead, you gave us a pawn.

And for what? Proximity to political power? Favor from DeSantis? Elevation on the backs of the very institution that gave you your start?

Follow the Money

Here’s where we go deeper. It’s time to investigate the financial interests and political connections of the board members who pushed this appointment. Many have longstanding ties to Republican administrations hostile to DEI, Black institutions and progressive education policy. These aren’t random appointments — they are strategic placements designed to dismantle Black institutions from within.

A Rotten Foundation Laid by President Larry Robinson

We must also confront the role of outgoing President Larry Robinson. While he did achieve some impressive wins during his tenure, his failure to vet a fake $237 million “donation” tarnished the university’s credibility and opened the door for this sham process.

That scandal gave the board the perfect excuse to “think outside the box” — their coded language for discarding qualified Black academic leaders in favor of someone unproven, politically convenient and easy to control. Yes, Marva Johnson is Black and a woman. But this isn’t empowerment. It’s exploitation. It’s political theater disguised as progress.

And here’s the kicker: The same conservatives who cry foul about DEI are the ones actually doing what they accuse others of — installing unqualified minorities based solely on politics and allegiance. This isn’t DEI. It’s deception and hypocrisy at its purest.

This Is Bigger Than FAMU

This isn’t just about one university. This is a test run. DeSantis has already gutted DEI, banned books and rewritten Black history. He remade liberal PWI New College of Florida into a “bastion of conservatism.” Now he’s targeting Black institutions — starting with the one that has always stood tallest. Bethune-Cookman. Edward Waters. Florida Memorial — watch closely. What just happened to FAMU is coming for you, regardless of your private status.

This Is a Call to Action

If you love FAMU, if you value HBCUs, if you believe in Black self-determination, you cannot stay silent. It’s time to move.

• Demand transparency: Release the full hiring and contract negotiation process.

• Investigate conflicts of interest: Audit the board’s political and financial affiliations.

• Defend governance: Challenge any move that strips power from the board chair.

• Raise your voice: Call, email and write to the governor, Board of Governors, and legislators.

• Support legal challenges: Back any effort to legally block or reverse this corrupt appointment.

• Withhold donations: Not another dime until trust is restored.

FAMU was built by fighters — people who didn’t wait for permission. People who resisted. People who rattled the system.

To the trustees who sold us out: History will remember your names.

And to the Rattler Nation: This is our university. It’s time we act like it.

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Nikki Frenney is a proud Florida A&M University alumna, seasoned communications strategist and unapologetic advocate for HBCUs and Black excellence. With over 30 years of experience in journalism, public affairs and government relations, she uses her voice to expose political hypocrisy and fight for equity in education. A bold storyteller and cultural commentator, Nikki is unafraid to call out injustice, especially when it threatens the institutions and communities that shaped her.