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Congresswoman Wilson's Statement on Resignation of FAMU President Dr. James Ammons

Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) issued the following statement on the resignation of FAMU President Dr. James Ammons:

Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) issued the following statement on the resignation of FAMU President Dr. James Ammons:

“I firmly believe that Dr. Ammons is a good man who faced the very difficult task of combating hazing. I worked with him on many issues ranging from STEM education to ensuring that our young black men receive the education they deserve in our nation’s universities. Dr. Ammons was hired at FAMU to put it on a path to national academic recognition, and he has done that. I know firsthand that Dr. Ammons is a great academic leader and that soon he will be steering another university to great heights.

“Hazing is a malady in American society that people have been trying to cure for more than a century. It’s a problem that has haunted college campuses, and it has to be tackled. FAMU did not experience the first death as a result of hazing, and without definitive action it certainly won’t be the last on our college campuses. I have fought hazing my entire adult life, including when I was regional director of a Greek-letter organization and earned the nickname ‘The Haze-Buster.’

“This fall, at the Congressional Black Caucus’s ‘Annual Legislative Conference,’ I will be hosting a symposium addressing the topic of hazing with Phi Beta Sigma, NAFEO and other interested stakeholders. We will be exploring what steps we can take, what can be done and how to fine-tune the legislation that I plan to introduce.”


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Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a first-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward Counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.