Tallahassee, FL – On July 23, The FSU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society held a call-in day demanding the administration immediately remove a statue honoring slave-owner Francis Eppes, and the immediate renaming of several buildings located on campus that are named after slave owners and segregationists. The statue of Francis Eppes, as well as Eppes Hall, B. K. Roberts Hall and Doak Campbell Stadium were the campus buildings included in the demands.

Participants in the action called the offices of FSU President John Thrasher and Vice President of Student Affairs Amy Hecht to speak out against the glorifying of racist figures,

During the course of the call-in day, President Thrasher released a statement that went out by email to FSU students, faculty and staff announcing that the statue would be “immediately placed off campus,” making this the second time the statue has been removed from FSU campus. The announcement also names the members of the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism, Equality & Inclusion.

Sure enough, a photo surfaced on Twitter from user @alicia_c_devine showing the vacant spot from which the statue was hauled away by truck.

“Thrasher removed the Eppes statue and put it back – once already, two years ago. I’m glad it’s gone, again! President Thrasher must keep it gone for good this time, and also rename the criminal justice building and any other FSU recognitions bearing Francis Epps’s name,” stated community member Satya Stark-Bejnar.

Despite protest from students and community members culminating in the formation of an advisory panel and the removal of the Eppes Statue from Wescott Plaza in 2018, it was relocated within view of its original space in the summer of 2019.

“We’re thrilled to see the Eppes statue removed, but we’re also aware of the fact that this has happened once before. SDS has pushed for Eppes’s removal since 2018, so we’re keeping a close eye on this situation to make sure that statue is gone for good. Our fight isn’t over yet,” says former SDS president Isabela Casanova.

This call-in day comes on the heels of an in-person protest surrounding the statue on July 4, where SDS students demanded not only the removal of names and a statue, but affirmative action programs for increasing black enrollment, placing the FSU police department under community control and decoupling it from theTallahassee police department, and justice for the police murders of Mychael Johnson and Tony McDade.

Francis Eppes owned 91 slaves during his lifetime, using the profits and land acquired via his cotton plantation to fund and provide real estate for the Confederacy and what would become Florida State University. During his tenure as Mayor of Tallahassee, Eppes established a militia for the purpose of catching runaway slaves, which would later become Tallahassee Police Department.

B. K. Roberts was a Florida Supreme Court Judge whose career includes managing a gubernatorial campaign of then Ku Klux Klan member Fuller Warren and denying Black student Virgil Hawkins the right to attend law school. The university accredits Roberts with the founding of the FSU College of Law.

Doak Campbell was president during the transformation from the Florida State College for Women to Florida State University. He is remembered for his anti-integration views after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, suppressing calls for campus integration, suppressing coverage of the Tallahassee Bus Boycott in the campus newspaper Florida Flambeau and expelling a graduate student who voiced support for a Black city commission candidate.

President Thrasher’s statement says that a final recommendation from his new task force will affect whether or not the Eppes statue will return to campus for a second time, as well as name changes of Eppes Hall & Doak Campbell Stadium. The students say they will continue the struggle like they have in past years until each of their demands are met.

Jonce Palmer (they/them) pronouns is a Tallahassee activist.

#TallahasseeFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #Antiracism #JohnThrasher #ConfederateStatueProtest #FrancisEppes

The victory results from an organizing campaign targeting FSU President John Thrasher and Governor Rick Scott. The Board of Governors is now set to vote on the decision to stay unified and strengthen their relationship.

“Having the College of Engineering maintain its partnership is great news for both parties. Now we can focus on the known, solvable issues that can improve the execution of our mission, as opposed to being distracted by decisions that may or may not even result in research, educational and social goals both universities want to achieve,” explained Ruben Nelson, former Vice President of the National Society of Black Engineers.

The Tallahassee Dream Defenders and National Society for Black Engineers led the charge against the racist bill, first proposed by FSU’s current president John Thrasher. With the help of allies such as FAMU Student Government Association, FAMU President Dr. Elmira Mangum and Students for a Democratic Society, they resisted an attack on African American students’ education rights.

The coalition rejected the Engineering School split for several reasons. First, the decision was announced abruptly in between the transition of both the FAMU and the FSU presidents. Second, many denounced the proposal as ‘separate but equal.’ It also reminded many of FSU’s previous action to open a law school, resulting in the relocation of the FAMU’s law school to Orlando.

Coupled with photo petitions and a viral media campaign, the coalition of groups worked hard for victory. As reported previously by Fight Back! in 2014, “Students from Florida State University (FSU) and the historically Black college Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), gathered outside the state capitol building on the morning of April 23. Despite final exams, they joined together to speak out against the split of the joint FAMU-FSU Engineering School.”

Additionally, FAMU Student Government Association (SGA) successfully passed an amendment to condemn the split, but FSU’s student government did not. The students also had an ally, FAMU President Dr. Elmira Mangum, who supported the students. The FAMU SGA donated to the efforts of the Dream Defenders. Then, over the summer, students continued to organize. As a result, Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford postponed the decision until the next Board of Governors meeting in spring 2015. On Feb. 19, the Board will reinforce the existing relationship between the two universities.

“Powerful interests will always try to stop the power of students. It is up to us to collectively build that power to stop racist actions such as this,” said a smiling Shivaani Eshaan of Dream Defenders.

#TallahasseeFL #GovernorRickScott #DreamDefenders #JohnThrasher #FloridaStateUniversityFAMU #FAMUEngineeringSchool #FloridaAgriculturalMechanicalUniversityFAMU

Tallahassee, FL – On May 21, at a meeting of the Florida State University Presidential Search Advisory Committee, Tallahassee Dream Defenders spoke out against the nomination of Senator John Thrasher as the new Florida State University (FSU) president. Students from Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), FSU Progress Coalition and Graduate Assistants United joined them.

At the committee meeting a motion passed naming Florida Senator John Thrasher as the sole nominee of the presidential search. The committee’s vote of 15-9 in support of this controversial motion, despite the overwhelming opposition by students and faculty who all voted no, raises several red flags. The process for choosing the nominee is being criticized for its undemocratic nature. In addition, John Thrasher made many statements alluding to wanting the job, but failed to apply like other candidates. Thrasher is being given special treatment and students say it is because he is rich and politically powerful. They also say Thrasher is racist and anti-worker.

As reported previously by Fight Back!, John Thrasher has a history of opposing the interests of African American students in Tallahassee. Earlier this year, Thrasher proposed an amendment at the Florida State Capitol to split the FAMU-FSU engineering school, treating the historically Black college students at FAMU like second-class citizens. However, due to duplication laws, the proposed split faces legal issues. FSU’s Engineering College would be forced to relocate, similar to the displacement of FAMU’s law school, from Tallahassee to Orlando.

As the president of FSU Dream Defenders, Brian Marshall is concerned, “Thrasher has ignored the voices of students. For example, in his support of the engineering school split.”

There is also John Thrasher’s support for harsher sentencing policies that feed mass incarceration of African American, Latino and working class youth in the state of Florida. Thrasher accepts political contributions from private prison corporations like CCA and GEO Group. These companies take taxpayer dollars and are repeat human rights violators. Politicians like Thrasher vote to give them more contracts and money.

Thrasher’s record of criminalizing African American and Latino communities does not end here. Thrasher supported bringing racist Arizona-style immigration laws to Florida. With Florida students recently winning in-state tuition for undocumented students, will FSU be a safe place for the undocumented under Thrasher? Students are raising concerns that Thrasher will use his position as FSU President to perpetuate racist discrimination and national oppression against African Americans and Latinos in Florida.

As well, students and faculty question the motives of the hiring firm, R. William Funk and Associates. This is the same company responsible for the current Purdue University president Mitch Daniels, the reactionary former Governor of Indiana. Funk and Associates is currently under a non-competitive contract, meaning that Funk cannot pursue other work until this is settled. Members of the faculty claimed that William Funk is rushing the process in order to pursue more profitable jobs for other universities.

Students are upset with the lack of transparency in this search process. Dream Defenders and Students for a Democratic Society protested and spoke out during previous meetings of the Presidential Search Committee. In addition, members of FSU faculty are advocating for an academic, not a right-wing politician like Thrasher, to become the next FSU president. However it was not until May 21 that Thrasher was even confirmed as a nominee, while the voices of students and faculty are being completely ignored. Now the faculty union representing 1600 educators opposes the process and wants Funk and Associates replaced.

Jerry Funt, co-president of the FSU Progress Coalition, expressed that the students were prepared to resist John Thrasher. “The search committee, the search firm, the FSU Board of Trustees and John Thrasher all must take note; nothing that happens here will go unnoticed. We've been vocal, we've been consistent and we've been watching this process. Whoever the new president is, they will answer to us first and foremost; the decision as to who the president is should reflect that.”

Regina Joseph, vice-president of FSU Dream Defenders vows that if the Search Committee continues with its nomination, students will march against John Thrasher.

#TallahasseeFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #FloridaStateUniversity #DreamDefenders #ReginaJoseph #JohnThrasher