The students at Florida A&M University (FAMU) shocked the HBCU community earlier this month when they filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida, as well as the board of governors for the state's university system, alleging that they have consistently underfunded the historically Black institution since 1980. If the case is successful not only in terms of damages awarded, but also as a result of similar legal claims emerging at other HBCUs, it may lead to being refrenced as one of the most awe inspiring acts of the century.
The 14th amendment's citizenship clause, which states that "no state shall ... deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law," was invoked by six students who filed a federal lawsuit alleging that FAMU being underfunded violates Title VI — a civil rights statute prohibiting race, color, and national origin discrimination in any federally funded program or activity.
BRITNEY DENTON, NYABI STEVENS, DEIDRICK DANSBY, FAYERACHEL PETERSON, ALEXANDER HARRIS, and JOHN DOE are the names of the students in the case. You can read the legal document here.
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