Florida A&M University

Fans and guests gathered to celebrate the reigning Black college national champions.

At Florida’s only public HBCU, some students now fear political constraints might get in the way of teaching parts of their history.

The government is supposed to provide equal funding to land-grant, state-run historically Black colleges and universities -including Florida A&M University - under the Morrill Act of 1890.

They are a gathering point for fellowship, as well as a means to spotlight and celebrate the rich history tied to historically Black colleges across the United States. The game between Florida A&M and Jackson State earlier this month was proof of that.

Attorneys for Florida A&M University students this week filed a revised lawsuit alleging that the historically Black university “remains separate and unequal” to other schools in the state.

In a potential class-action lawsuit, a federal judge has permitted the students' case to move a step forward

The students and their attorneys are asking the judge to certify the case as a class action.

The Senate version of the measure also no longer includes a ban on majors and minors in critical race theory, intersectionality and certain gender studies. Yet, that language remains in the House version of the bill.

Students from across the state will rally at the Florida State Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 26 to raise awareness about the issue.

School officials say none of the victims were FAMU students, and no arrests have been made.

The federal lawsuit claims the state has maintained “a segregated system of higher education” and that Florida’s disparate funding and support for FAMU violates constitutional equal-protection rights.

Florida A&M University (FAMU) has been selected to help launch the HBCU Transformation Project. It's designed to drive long-term progress across HBCUs and impact the Black economy.