FAMU Funding Fight Explodes. DeSantis Maps Stand. Fisk Data Center Backlash
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Florida A&M University (FAMU) students and alumni have revived a lawsuit seeking $2 billion in owed funds from the state of Florida, part of a larger $13 billion owed to HBCUs nationwide.
- ❖The Biden administration previously sent letters to states, including Florida, identifying significant shortfalls in funding for land-grant HBCUs.
- ❖FAMU's attorney, Josh Duven, highlighted the campus's deteriorating condition and the loss of unique programs as evidence of chronic underfunding rooted in de jure segregation.
- ❖Black Voters Matter launched the "Declaration of a New Nation" initiative to reimagine constitutional protections for Black communities, starting with town halls in Galveston, Texas.
- ❖Roland Martin criticizes CNN for removing fact-checker Daniel Dale from on-air appearances, interpreting it as a deliberate executive decision to avoid antagonizing Donald Trump.
- ❖Bishop William Barber advocates for a 10-year, data-driven voter mobilization strategy focused on educating infrequent voters, micro-organizing at the precinct level, and staging "marches on the polls" during early voting.
- ❖A controversy surrounds Fisk University's plan to build a data center on campus, with critics like State Representative Justin Jones raising concerns about environmental impact and potential exploitation.
- ❖The Rad Black Kids, a Black-owned clothing brand, is expanding its reach, including a debut at REI, focusing on centering Black people in action sports and global design.
- ❖NFL alumni, including Robert Brazil and Al Smith, participated in a charity golf classic in Nashville, raising funds for children's charities.
Insights
1HBCU Underfunding as Systemic Racism
Florida A&M University (FAMU) is suing the state of Florida for $2 billion in historical underfunding. This lawsuit is part of a larger national issue where land-grant HBCUs have been systematically shortchanged by states, with the Biden administration identifying $13 billion owed. The underfunding has led to dilapidated campuses, lack of resources, and the loss of critical academic programs, directly linked to a history of dual education systems and de jure segregation.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit revived the lawsuit. Attorney Josh Duven cited the Biden administration's letters to Governor DeSantis and the 'United States v. Fordice' case, noting FAMU's campus decay and the relocation of its law school.
2Mainstream Media's Capitulation to Political Pressure
CNN is accused of deliberately sidelining its prominent fact-checker, Daniel Dale, from on-air appearances for three months. This decision is interpreted as an executive directive to avoid antagonizing Donald Trump, demonstrating a broader trend of mainstream media compromising journalistic integrity for corporate interests and fear of political retribution.
Roland Martin, a former CNN employee, states that such a prolonged absence is a 'conscious decision by executives' and that 'Donald Trump hates when he's on the air because what he does is he exposes the lies of Donald Trump.'
3Strategic Black Political Mobilization
Bishop William Barber outlines a comprehensive, long-term strategy for Black political mobilization that moves beyond single elections. It emphasizes deep political education, data-driven micro-organizing (targeting infrequent voters by precinct and household), and highly visible 'marches on the polls' during early voting periods. The goal is to vote for a clear vision of the future, rather than merely against a political figure, and to build sustained power.
Barber highlights that 90 million people stayed home in the last election and that shifting just 10-15% of infrequent voters could fundamentally alter outcomes. He proposes organizing 'marches from HBCUs, from churches, from lodges, from community buildings, straight to the polls' on the first day of early voting.
4Fisk University Data Center Controversy
Fisk University's plan to host a data center on its campus has sparked significant backlash from students and community leaders, including State Representative Justin Jones. Critics express concerns about the environmental impact (spoilage of land and water, emissions) and view the proposal as a potential form of 'redlining' or exploitation, where HBCUs, often underfunded, might accept deals with long-term negative consequences for short-term financial gain.
State Representative Justin Jones's class on AI dangers was reportedly canceled by Fisk after his criticism. Panelists discuss the potential environmental damage and the historical context of 'them putting something right on a HBCU campus and maybe giving them a few dollars, even if it's a couple million upfront, but then now you've turned a campus... like building a campus on a power plant.'
Bottom Line
The systematic underfunding of HBCUs, often by states diverting federal land-grant funds to predominantly white institutions, represents a direct economic and educational form of systemic racism.
This historical financial deprivation has crippled HBCUs, leading to infrastructure decay and limited program offerings, directly impacting the educational and economic mobility of Black communities.
Legal action, coupled with coordinated national advocacy, can force states to repay these billions, providing HBCUs with the resources needed to modernize, expand, and better serve their student populations, thereby boosting regional economies.
Mainstream media outlets are increasingly prioritizing political appeasement over journalistic integrity, particularly concerning controversial figures like Donald Trump.
This capitulation leads to a lack of accountability for misinformation and a distorted public discourse, making it harder for citizens to make informed decisions.
The rise of independent media platforms, particularly Black-owned and unfiltered outlets, becomes critical for providing truthful reporting and fact-checking, offering a necessary alternative to compromised mainstream narratives.
Opportunities
Black-Centered Action Sports Apparel and Lifestyle Brand
The Rad Black Kids brand successfully centers Black people within action sports culture, offering high-quality apparel. This model can be expanded to other niche markets where Black representation is historically low, creating products that resonate with diverse Black identities while maintaining global appeal.
Lessons
- Support and amplify independent Black media platforms that prioritize truth and accountability over political appeasement.
- Engage in local, data-driven political organizing, focusing on educating infrequent voters and mobilizing communities for early voting periods.
- Advocate for full funding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and support legal efforts to reclaim billions owed by state governments.
Micro-Level Voter Mobilization for Black Communities
Educate voters on the specific issues at stake and the impact of policy decisions, moving beyond generic calls to 'just vote.'
Utilize data to identify infrequent voters in specific precincts and communities, focusing mobilization efforts where they can have the greatest impact (e.g., 10-15% shift).
Organize 'marches on the polls' from churches, HBCUs, and community centers on the first day of early voting in every state, creating visible momentum and leveraging same-day registration where available.
Build comprehensive databases of engaged voters, using technology (texting, report cards, videos) for consistent follow-up and personalized messaging.
Establish a long-term, 10-year strategy for political engagement, ensuring sustained mobilization efforts beyond single election cycles and focusing on a clear vision for the future.
Quotes
"If those H.B.C.U. had got the same billions of dollars that the University of Maryland got, that the University of Tennessee got at these white land grant institutions, then they wouldn't have to be sitting here nickel and dimming and having these decrepit uh, uh, uh, uh, buildings uh, and institutions."
"This is one of and I've done plenty of postconviction work. I've walked people off of death row that were wrongfully convicted. This case is near and dear to my heart. Um it is one of the most, if not the most important case I've ever worked on."
"We can't continue to just resist and and and fight against what we don't want. We have to begin to build and conceptualize collectively of what we do want."
"He's not the system. He's the symptom of the system. He's like snot when you have a cold. He ain't the problem. He's the symptom of it. You wipe this out. You got to do something deeper to get rid of the coal."
"The macro actually can make you think there's nothing we can do because micro kind of says they won but I mean macro but micro will say wait a minute they won but only by two votes and we know where 20 are they won by thousand votes but we thousand are so micro actually will empower people macro sometime disempowers people because it's only looking at the end result and not the data and how we got there and how we can get out of here."
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