Willie Simmons on money owed to FAMU: ‘That is a fight that we are constantly tackling’

In late September, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, along with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, sent letters to the governors of 16 states requesting them to make good on the $12 billion owed to their land-grant HBCUs.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis received one of those letters, declaring that Florida A&M was owed $1.973 billion, funds that were withheld from the University since 1990.

“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” Secretary Cardona said in a prepared statement.

The states operating in this manner are violating the Second Morrill Act of 1890, a law that requires states to either demonstrate that race was not a criterion in collegiate admissions or designate a separate land-grant institution for black people. Additionally, the law mandates the home state of said 1862 and 1890 land grant institutions must match all formula-based funding received from federal funds on a dollar-to-dollar basis.

“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” Secretary Cardona said in a prepared statement.

Florida A&M head football coach Willie Simmons gave his thoughts Monday during the SWAC’s weekly football press conference on the university consistently being denied what it rightfully deserves.

“We have been able to thrive, considering we have been underfunded. That is a fight that we are constantly tackling,” he said. “Our alums, our administration, we are not short on [sending] letters to the Board of Regents and the people who are stakeholders. I think it’s well-chronicled now, hopefully, it will lead to us getting our just due.

I do remember my time at Prairie View when a similar fight was made, and they were able to win some things that allowed them to be in a better position. We have done some great things with less than, so just imagine how amazing these schools would be if we got the funding that made us a little more equitable with our white PWI counterparts.”

Asked if he was requested to speak on the matter, Coach Simmons said, “I haven’t, but we have enough people that are fighting that fight. My fight is trying to get funding for the athletic program. As a state-funded school, we can’t utilize any state funds toward athletic facilities. We have to make sure we take care of that on our end. But we do have enough people that are fighting for our equal shares, as far as state appropriations.”

The $1.97 billion that the State of Florida is in arrears to FAMU is only outpaced by Tennessee State, which has been shortchanged $2.1 billion by the State of Tennessee, and the  $2.75 billion the State of North Carolina owes North Carolina A&T.