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The FAMU National Alumni Association, the FAMU Foundation, and the FAMU Boosters Club, are all making the push to make Larry Robinson the permanent President of Florida A&M University. This news comes after Robinson gave a state of the university address to university alumni attending the FAMU National Alumni Annual Convention in Baltimore, MD.

Months after firing Dr. Elmira Mangum, FAMU’s 11th President, the university has still not been able to find someone to permanently fill the role of president of the distinguished HBCU. This is not the first time that Robinson has had to act as Interim, following the 2011 death of Robert Champion and the resignation of James H. Ammons, Robinson was appointed Interim President beginning in 2012.

FAMU Foundation Chair Thomas Jones released the following statement:

In today's board meeting of the FAMU foundation, we passed a resolution in support of Dr. Larry Robinson to remain as the permanent president of Florida A&M universally.

I've directed the ex. director to draft a letter of support that we will be sending to the Board of Trustees with my signature indicating the exemplary work of Dr. Larry Robinson.

I've had the pleasure of serving on the foundation board for over 12 years and under seven different presidents Larry is now in his third term. Dr. Robinson loves the university. He understands the issues.

Though this news brings about a mountain of questions, many are on board with having Robinson act as the Permanent President of FAMU.

 “I think that Dr. Robinson is more than qualified to be president. He has already carried us through  some terrible times.  He has proven to the FAMU community, in numerous ways, that he will help our institution prosper. It is clear that he truly cares about our progression,” says Tianah Allen, a 6-Year Doctor of Pharmacy candidate from Tampa, FL.

It is great to see individuals invested in the university coming together to make a decision. The constant changes happening around the FAMU campus is enough to keep everyone on their toes.  From Alumni to students, many are wondering when will the university land on stable ground?

Whatever steps FAMU decides to take, the HBCU community hopes that it will be the right step in a new direction.

On May 13th, Florida Memorial University honored the memory of Trayvon Martin by gifting his parents with a Posthumous Degree to celebrate their son's desire to become a pilot.  

It was a powerful dedication as Sybrina Fulton (a FMU Alumna) and Tracey Martin received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical science, with a concentration in flight education, printed with their slain son’s name.

Trayvon Martin was killed on February 26, 2012 by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch member, while visiting his father in Sanford, Fla.  Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, but he was found not guilty on July 13, 2013.

The death of Trayvon ignited the Black Community to feverishly fight for the respect of Black lives and bodies. The unjust verdict has been the catalyst for the modern Civil Rights movement, which has been led by groups like #BlackLivesMatter and The Dream Defenders.

“Trayvon Martin was a freedom fighter who taught [the Black Community] how to fight.  Trayvon Martin taught us that freedom is an illusion. Trayvon Martin taught us that we can be next. Trayvon Martin woke up the globe. He is the leader we were waiting on- he is our Dr. King,” says Danielle Adams, who grew up in Sanford, Fla. and previously acted as the President of the Florida State University Dream Defenders.

Community leaders like Danielle, who helps to facilitate programs for young girls of color as the Volunteer Program Director for Princesses to Queens in Jacksonville, Fla., reminds us that advocacy builds our communities in a plethora of ways. It is strikingly important that more individuals step-up and do the work that protects the Black Community.  

From the death of Trayvon Martin to the mysterious murder of Sandra Bland, the Black Community has tirelessly fought for answers and justice. In a country mockingly called “The Home of the Free”,  people of color are “justifiably” murdered and denied the right to the freedom of a dream that they built from the ground up.

“Florida Memorial University has taken the unusual step to confer this posthumous degree award because your son has come to mean so much to so many,” announced FMU President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis who presented the award to Trayvon's parents. 

The death of Trayvon Martin is heartbreaking, but it has helped restore the sound of marginalized communities working together to uplift what American injustice continues to crucify. As we continue to fight for the injustices we face, we must continue to honor those who have been sacrificed at the hands of Uncle Sam. Everyday we must #SayHerName, #SayHisName, and remember to respect our own lives through the intention of community, advocacy, and justice.

Social Media has changed the way everything is done, and digital marketing has elevated the way individuals interact with others and the brands that they love.  If you are truly popping on any social media site, then you probably get thousands of likes per minute. That is what HBCU Advocates have proven through their illustration of the HBCU experience via Instagram.

In October 2016 Nielsen reported that more Black Millennials will obtain a degree within the next year.  They also reported that “55% of Black Millennials say they spend an hour or more in Social Networking Sites". 

There is a lot of room to influence the way prospective students look at HBCU culture.

You know we support the culture, so here are 50 of our favorite Instagram accounts that show the world how lit and influential a HBCU education can be. 

1. @hbcubuzz

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2. @hbcupridenation

 

3.@hbcugrad

 

4. @hbculifestyle

 

5. @hbcucampaign

 

6. @hbcu_connect_

 

7.  @rattlersunited

 

8.  @hbcugirls

 

9. @hbcucheer

 

10.  @hbcufashion

 

11. @hbcuwallstreet

 

12. @hbcumeninsuits_

 

 

13. @hbcuqueendom

 

14. @hbcugameday

 

15. @hbcusociety

 

16.  @hbcu.balance

 

17. @hbcupridejoy

 

18.  @hbcuhitz

 

19. @hbcustory

 

20. @hbcuecellence

 

 

 

21. @hbcusistas

 

22. @hbcustorian

 

23. @hbcuorgullo

 

24. @hbcushop

 

25. @hbcutravelers

 

26. @learnblack.giveback

 

27. @hbcu_sports

 

28. @hbcusteam

 

29. @uncf

 

30. @hbcuwomeninsuits

 

31. @campuslately

 

32. @divah_filez

 

33. @yardtalk101

 

34. @hbcutalent

 

35. @becauseofthem

 

36. @collegedaze_

 

37. @blackgirlsgraduate

 

38. @ourbomdotcom

 

39. @african_american_education

 

40. @curlyincollege

41. @theveryblackproject

42. @womenbychoice

43. @blacktechmecca 

44. @strollnation

45. @watchtheyard

46. @blackenterprise

47. @freshgreek

 48. @hgcapparel

49. @blvcksupply

50. @alldemshades

In early March 2017, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took a break from his office in San Francisco, California to tour all 50 States. His tour landed him at North Carolina A&T State University, and while there he had a talk with students and faculty about diversity in the tech industry.

Discussing race is still very taboo in the tech community, and Zuckerberg wanted to address this issues at one of the top HBCU’s in the country. Zuckerberg was honest, noting that asking for diversity in a white-male dominated space is still a stretch for a lot of hiring managers.

“A lot of people who think that they care about diversity actually still have a lot of these biases that hold them back,” he said.

In their July 2016 Equal Employment Opportunity Report, Facebook reported that Blacks made up 1% of their tech jobs.

"Tech has a huge problem with a culture of disrespect that plays out differently based on different demographics.", said Freada Kapor Klein, Co-Chair at the Kapor Center for Social Impact.

USA Today reported that the tech industry invest $16 Billion a year to increase diversity, but more and more marginalized employees are leaving because they do not fit into the culture. Personal prejudices stop the progression of diversity in tech spaces, which lead to more and more underrepresented voices unemployed and looking for a place in their preferred industry.

Nielsen reported that 29% of African-Americans, ages 18-34, plan on furthering their education within the next 12 months.  With interest rising in attending HBCU’s,  what are HBCU’s doing to help push more of their students into the tech industry?

Google and Howard are taking the initiative to make sure their is a more diverse culture in the tech industry. “Howard West” is the first step towards changing the landscape. The program will be a 3-month intensive program for computer science juniors and seniors.

Along with “Howard West”, FAMU was just honored by The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education through 2022. HBCU’s are taking the initiative to create the space for students to explore tech on campus, but how does this translate outside of a 4-year institution in an industry that isn’t quite ready for diversity?

 

FAMU’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication will soon be the new home to a 24-hour Black News Network.

Black Television News Channel plans to begin airing in more than a dozen cities starting in February 2018. The network's focus is based on creating a space for African-American’s to be more informed about what is happening in the Black community.  They also want to focus on dismantling the single-story and stereotypes used to illustrate the Black community.

This partnership between BTNC will also be a great opportunity for FAMU J-School students to gain knowledge and experience working with industry insiders. This major change will also create an estimated 100 jobs for the Big Bend area.

Robyn Murrell, a Fall 2016 Graduate of FAMU’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication had this to say about FAMU being home to the BTNC,

“I love that FAMU now has its own network. It’ll be a great addition to an already superb journalism program. The network will greatly impact the future of black journalist coming out of FAMU because it's providing students with real life work experience on campus. Also, this network will show the world the quality of an HBCU education. It takes a certain caliber of students to run a network and an even more talent faculty and staff to prepare them.”

Estimated to attract 33 million viewers upon launch, this partnership is definitely going to spark some interest in students who want to attend an HBCU and go into the communications field.

Mayor John Marks of Tallahassee said, “I really feel so proud to be a part of what I know is going to be revolutionary as well as evolutionary.”

More HBCU’s are taking strides to make their campus’ interactive spaces for their students to learn and grow more than ever. Howards partnership with Google is incredibly important to the growth of minority faces in the tech industry, and the introduction of the BTNC will prove to allow students to collaborate and have a say in the way African-American stories are being told.