Something is in the water at HBCUs. On July 12, two prominent school presidents announced their intentions to step down from their positions. David A. Thomas announced his retirement as president at Morehouse College, while Larry Robinson announced his resignation as president of Florida A&M University. “After a sabbatical,” Robinson will return to FAMU as an environment professor.
“Two great HBCU presidents announce their departure in one day,” Kevin E. James, Morris Brown school president, posted on Facebook. “Brings HBCU president openings to 21 by my calculation. What the h— is going on? Answer: These are tough jobs.”
The other school president job openings at HBCUs, according to James, include; Albany State University, Arkansas Baptist College, Bethune-Cookman University, Bluefield State University, Dillard University, Elizabeth City State University, Florida Memorial University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Knoxville College, Lane College, Paine College, Philander Smith College, Rust College, Talladega College, Savannah State University, Shorter College, Southern University Law Center, Tennessee State University and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.
Keisha Kelley, the founder of the Black College Experience and proud alum of Southern University, immediately commented that John Pierre moved to Chancellor of the University and wasn’t fired.
Robinson stepped down a couple of months after a botched $237 million donation was announced to the school. On May 4, it was announced the money was in the bank, but instead, the school received 14 million shares of stock that could be worth $300 million or zero dollars, a FAMU Foundation board member told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Other embarrassing moments that became national news during Robinson’s time in the position included a student Terica Williams, who took her graduation photos in the nude in front of a Rattler statue on campus. Williams didn’t receive her degree until a semester after the 2022 debacle. Another one came in July 2023 when the football team shot a music video with the Real Boston Richey in their locker room, without former head coach Willie Simmons knowing.
FAMU alum still spoke highly of Robinson after his resignation announcement.
“Not one of Dr. Robinson’s missteps negates or outweighs the herculean efforts and accomplishments he has made on behalf of FAMU,” Derrick Junior commented on Facebook. “We are truly entering unchartered territory at the worst possible time and under the worst possible circumstance … We have an incredible pool of talent in-house and a top-notch pipeline of FAMU graduate higher ed leaders to draw from. Let’s make sure we replace greatness with greatness.”
Eddie N. Moore, Jr., the former president at Virginia State University and Norfolk State University, was a name alum brought up in comments in terms of who they wanted to be next. In-house, Donald Palm is FAMU’s CEO and executive vice president, while Allyson Watson is the provost and vice president for academic affairs.
At Morehouse, the school dubbed Thomas a record-breaker because he raised more funds than any other president in the school’s 157-year history. Thomas is past the halfway mark in a $500 million capital campaign, launched in 2021. The most notable criticism Thomas received was for tapping President Joe Biden as this year’s commencement speaker during a time when many American college students were protesting the federal government continuing to give funds to Israel amid the country’s war with Palestine. Biden was still the speaker after staff and students expressed disdain for the choice. Many Morehouse graduates sat during the ceremony when Biden was introduced as a silent protest.
Michael Lomax, CEO of the UNCF, has been brought up in a social-media comment of people to consider to fill the position vacated by Thomas. Other alumni have named Eddie Glaude, a Morehouse graduate and current professor at Princeton University and A. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School. In-house, Kendrick Brown is the provost and senior vice president, while Karen Miller is the chief administrative officer and senior vice president.
