The Crossman Conversation
Three Facts You May Not Know About FAMU College of Law
If you’re in Central Florida, you should be supporting and taking advantage of this rich resource.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) is the nation’s top public HBCU and holds the position of 103 in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of public universities nationally. Its rich history dates back to its founding in 1887 in Tallahassee.
I’m always honored when anyone from FAMU — faculty, staff, or alumni — joins me on The Crossman Conversation. When Deidre Keller, Dean of the FAMU College of Law in Orlando, was my guest, we had a wide-ranging, fascinating discussion about things you may not know about this impressive institution.
For example:
FAMU College of Law is the most diverse law school in the country.
The student population is approximately 50 percent Black, 25 percent white, and 25 percent Hispanic. The students come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and hold a variety of views on social issues, politics, faith, and more. Some enroll immediately after earning their undergraduate degree; others after they’ve spent years doing other things (this year, the school has a student who is 66 years old).
After “separate but equal” was found to be unconstitutional, the original FAMU College of Law was shut down.
FAMU’s original law school was established in 1949 in Tallahassee. In 1966, the Florida Board of Control (now known as the Board of Regents) withdrew permission for FAMU to admit law students and awarded it to Florida State University (which was the birth of FSU’s law school). In 2000, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed and Gov. Jeb Bush signed legislation establishing a law school at FAMU. But because of FSU’s school, the reestablished FAMU College of Law couldn’t be in Tallahassee, so it was located in Orlando.
If you’re a small company in Central Florida and you need help with diversity, equity, and inclusion, the FAMU College of Law would love to be a resource for you.
FAMU’s impressive faculty has expertise in various aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “We absolutely can be a resource for the community,” Dean Keller said. “I’d like folks to think about us as Central Florida’s public law school. We would love to be in partnership with you.”
You’ll want to hear everything we talked about, including Dean Keller’s interesting path from Georgetown, Guyana to the Bronx to Yale, and eventually to Orlando.
And here’s a bit of trivia that may surprise you: Howard University established the first HBCU law school and its first-class included white women because they could not attend other law schools.
To listen to the entire conversation, go to:
To hear my conversation with Dr. Shawnta Friday-Stroud, FAMU’s Vice President for University Advancement, go to:
