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Ghetto Bourgeois
FAMU Graduates threatened to Walk out of Graduation if Governor Bush is named as the
FAMU STUDENT PRESIDENT: "WE DON'T WANT BUSH"
Governor invited to be Grad Speaker
By Bill Cotterell and Melanie Yeager Democra Saff Writers March 7, 2002
Florida A&M University students do not want Gov. Jeb Bush as their Commencement Speaker, the student body president said Wednesday.
Senior Andrew Gillum spoke at an evening rally marking the second anniversary of a mass march on the Capitol protesting One Florida, the governor's program supplanting affirmative action in state university admissions and government purchasing.
FAMU's administration says it has extended an invitation for Bush to be the keynote speaker at graduation ceremonies next month, but the governor's office said Wednesday it has not received the invitation. FAMU spokesman Eddie Jackson confirmed earlier Wednesday that Bush was invited to give the main address.
"We don't have one Florida but a divided Florida," said Gillum, who is the only one of 13 FAMU trustees not appointed by the governor. "The Florida A&M graduating seniors will not sit through a ceremony adorned by a governor who doesn't believe in our institution.
" His remarks drew loud, prolonged applause and shouts of encouragement from the mostly black crowd - which included scores of FAMU students - at St. Mary's Primitive Baptist Church. Gillum said he had told FAMU officials that students don't want Bush, who has also abolished the old Board of Regents and set up separate boards of trustees for each of the 11 institutions of the State University System.
After the rally, Gillum said he did not know whether students would boycott commencement exercises or walk out, if Bush is the speaker.
"Hopefully, we don't want it to get to that point," Gillum said. "It's my commencement, also. That's a very special moment for many of our relatives, so we don't want to see that happen."
Gillum said he hopes Bush will decline the FAMU invitation.
FAMU STUDENT PRESIDENT: "WE DON'T WANT BUSH"
Governor invited to be Grad Speaker
By Bill Cotterell and Melanie Yeager Democra Saff Writers March 7, 2002
Florida A&M University students do not want Gov. Jeb Bush as their Commencement Speaker, the student body president said Wednesday.
Senior Andrew Gillum spoke at an evening rally marking the second anniversary of a mass march on the Capitol protesting One Florida, the governor's program supplanting affirmative action in state university admissions and government purchasing.
FAMU's administration says it has extended an invitation for Bush to be the keynote speaker at graduation ceremonies next month, but the governor's office said Wednesday it has not received the invitation. FAMU spokesman Eddie Jackson confirmed earlier Wednesday that Bush was invited to give the main address.
"We don't have one Florida but a divided Florida," said Gillum, who is the only one of 13 FAMU trustees not appointed by the governor. "The Florida A&M graduating seniors will not sit through a ceremony adorned by a governor who doesn't believe in our institution.
" His remarks drew loud, prolonged applause and shouts of encouragement from the mostly black crowd - which included scores of FAMU students - at St. Mary's Primitive Baptist Church. Gillum said he had told FAMU officials that students don't want Bush, who has also abolished the old Board of Regents and set up separate boards of trustees for each of the 11 institutions of the State University System.
After the rally, Gillum said he did not know whether students would boycott commencement exercises or walk out, if Bush is the speaker.
"Hopefully, we don't want it to get to that point," Gillum said. "It's my commencement, also. That's a very special moment for many of our relatives, so we don't want to see that happen."
Gillum said he hopes Bush will decline the FAMU invitation.
