FAMU President Larry Robinson Joins HBCU Leaders At Black College Expo
Los Angeles, California, Feb. 10, 2024 – Florida A&M University (FAMU) Larry Robinson, Ph.D., joined presidents from four other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to discuss their challenges and opportunities as they made their pitch to 13,000 high school students from California and other West Coast states.
Meeting in the middle of the Los Angeles Convention Center exhibition floor during the Black College Expo Saturday, February 10, Robinson and the chief executives of Claflin University, Fort Valley State University (FVSU), Talladega College and Harris-Stowe State University touted their schools’ best offerings.
“We are proud to be the highest-ranked public HBCU, although we’ve been great throughout our 136-year history. We are the only public HBCU in the state of Florida,” Robinson said. “We invite you to come and join us. We also ranked number 91st among national public universities in the nation, something that we are really proud of. We offer you an outstanding array of high-quality academic programs, and we tell you that you can get anywhere from FAMU.”
Gregory J. Vincent, Ph.D., 21st president of Talladega College, invoked the rich history of his Alabama-based school.
“Talladega has the most compelling origin story in American higher education,” said Vincent. “Two former enslaved men built the first structure on the campus that’s still in operation, and when they became freemen, they bought the building that established this world class institution that for over 157 years has been producing outstanding alums, including 24 college presidents. We are so proud that we take students where they are and help them achieve greater heights.”
Robinson and Vincent were joined by Claflin University President Dwaun J. Warmack, Ph.D., FVSU President Paul A. Jones, Ph.D., and Harris-Stowe State University President LaTonia Collins Smith, Ed.D., who boasted of her school’s location and affordability.
“We are the only HBCU in St. Louis, Missouri. We pride ourselves on providing a high quality affordable and accessible and diverse education for those students who are looking for a robust education we have a robust agenda in STEM. We also pride ourselves on having the lowest tuition in the state of Missouri. That’s why we call ourselves affordable and accessible,” said Collins-Smith, HSSU’s 21st president and first female president. “If you’re looking for an institution where you you’re not just the number State University is that institution for you.”
This was the 25th anniversary of the Black College Expo, which is geared to exposing African American, Hispanic, and other students of color to HBCUs. There are no undergraduate HBCUs on the West Coast. FAMU officials tell students it may be less costly for out-of-state California students to attend FAMU than a California University.
Student leaders were also on hand to reinforce the presidents’ message. Londe Mondelus, president of the FAMU Student Government Association, recalled attending a recruitment fair when she was a high school student.
“This is a full circle moment for me because what made me want to go to FAMU is the recruitment fair at my alma mater,” Mondelus said. “My main goal here at this Black College Expo is to make sure that I share my story because I think when we share our stories it’s the best-selling point- being authentically yourself.”
During his West Coast swing before the Expo, Robinson met with fellow HBCU leaders and tech company executives in Silicon Valley to discuss opportunities for students and faculty. Following the expo, he met with Los Angeles based alumni, including Terri Hines, Fox Sports’ executive vice president/Communications.