Florida A&M University’s new president, Marva Johnson, officially took the helm Friday. As one of her first moves in office, she released a video praising the school and addressing a somewhat dubious community of students, faculty and alumni.
Johnson is walking a fine line. During the selection process, members of the FAMU community raised concerns about her ties to President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis. They also questioned her lack of experience working in higher education. But in her video, Johnson pledged to listen and learn from those she says “care deeply about the university’s future.”
“My presidency is not simply a new chapter in leadership," she said. "It is a sacred obligation. It is about the generations of Rattlers who built this university brick by brick, fight by fight, victory by hard-fought victory.”
Johnson also said she respects the passion of the FAMU community.
“To lead FAMU is to step into a legacy, and to carry forward the charge of ensuring this institution thrives for the years to come," she said. "Today marks the first day of an incredible journey, and I’m deeply moved by the magnitude of this moment.”
The video drew considerable criticism through social media comments. But Johnson’s supporters point to the fact that last month, DeSantis signed a state budget giving FAMU 10 million dollars more in the new fiscal year than the school had requested.
