"
The sharper operational response came from Cecil Howard, Associate Provost and Interim Dean of the College of Law, who emailed students and reporters to clarify the situation. Howard said that after News 6 Orlando reported that certain words had been flagged, he met directly with the students involved “to provide clarification and to state unequivocally: the word ‘Black’ is not prohibited. No such restriction exists, and none has been directed by university leadership.”
Howard explained the issue was “a staff-level error—an overly cautious interpretation that went beyond what the law requires,” and that the university immediately engaged a Florida higher-education law expert who confirmed that neither state law nor Board of Governors rules ban use of the word “Black” or the phrase “Black History Month.” He added, “I fully concur with this expert legal opinion.”
To prevent a repeat, the College of Law has implemented several steps: an enhanced review process for student promotional materials, a standardized escalation protocol, a secondary review mechanism, and alignment of the law college’s communications review with main-campus practices. Pending full rollout, Howard says he will assume final review and approval authority for event communications. He also reminded students that the university’s grievance process is available if they believe policies are misapplied.
The original concern — voiced by student organizers who said reviewers flagged phrases such as “Black,” “women,” and “affirmative action” — sparked alarm on an HBCU campus and prompted broader debate about how public universities interpret rules around state funding and DEI. FAMU’s latest statements say that interpretation, not law, triggered the confusion and that steps are now in place to clarify policy and protect student expression.
We have updated our earlier coverage to reflect these statements. BET will continue to follow how campus leaders implement the promised changes and whether students feel those fixes restore confidence in the approval process."
As state funding rules collide with campus celebrations, students said the school’s guidance during Black History Month at an HBCU is frustrating.
www.bet.com
No matter what, the students shouldn't have to clear this kinda stuff. It's not as dire as say heartbeat bills making doctors have to guess when they can intercede on behalf of a mother, but these malicious ass white supremacist laws will make institutions hesitate to run afoul of it.
Even if it's a dud, any litigation from the government costs the university too much.