FAMU Law Student Says She Was Told Not To Include ‘Black’ In Her Black History Month Flyers. FAMU Doesn’t Deny It
Apparently, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done such a thorough job of making his state a paradise for the white and eternally fragile that a historically Black university can’t use the word “Black” in flyers promoting its — *checks notes*— Black History Month event.
According to News 6, Florida A&M University law student Aaliyah Steward said she was told by her school that in her flyers promoting the event, she had to abbreviate Black History Month so that the word “Black” wasn’t visible, because it is one of at least three words and terms that got flagged by the school in compliance with legislation signed by DeSantis and reinforced by the State Board of Governors that prohibits the use of state or federal funds for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
There you have it, folks — we have now reached the point in the journey to make white nationalism great again where even the acknowledgement of the existence of Black people and Blackness is considered a reverse-racist diversity initiative.
“It was ‘Black,’ ‘affirmative action,’ and ‘women’ as well,” Steward said, explaining what words were flagged.
“We couldn’t use the word ‘Black’ in Black History Month. We would have to abbreviate it,” she continued. “I was very angry and baffled because this is a Historically Black College and University, and for them to say we can’t use the word ‘Black’ was kind of insane.”
FAMU is not denying the allegation, as it made the following statement to News 6:
“Florida A&M University has consistently been in full compliance with Senate Bill 266 and Board of Governors’ Regulation 9.016. We support and have implemented the policy direction established by the Governor, the Legislature, and the Board of Governors as it relates to DEI, and consistent with related federal court rulings.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is committed to fostering a campus community that encourages the free exchange of ideas while ensuring an environment of mutual respect, safety, and awareness. The University recognizes that freedom of expression is fundamental to academic inquiry, personal development, and civic engagement.”
Of course, none of this is surprising, coming from the state that had a “Black History Matters” mural removed last year, and the board of “education” that requires teachers to teach that enslaved people benefited from slavery and that Black victims of racial massacres also committed acts of violence. However, FAMU is disappointing here.
Even if one wanted to give the university a little grace for doing what it has to do to preserve its much-needed funding, it seems to have gone out of its way to state that “we support” the legislation that took the “Black” out of “Black History Month” to appease racist and perpetually aggrieved white people, many of whom are still taking to social media every year to ask why there’s no White History Month or historically white colleges. (*gestures widely towards the overwhelming majority of colleges and historical curricula throughout the existence of these United States*)
We have certainly lost the plot when Black college administrators are complying with white supremacy and voicing their “support” for doing so.
Do better, FAMU — because our oppressors never will.
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