(c) 2015 Cascade Publishing House
EDITORIAL, Let me be clear, Tuskegee University’s Board of Trustees should fire President Brian Johnson, today, preferably before the sun goes down, or depending upon where you are in the world, before it comes up.
Over the course of the past several years, I have written a series of news stories about the misadventures of Dr. Brian Johnson’s tenure at the helm of Tuskegee University. Although those stories were factual accounts of events at the university, members of the alumni and some student leaders discounted the factual basis of the articles and treated them as if they were opinion pieces.
Two weeks ago, one alumni had the unmitigated audacity to repost on a private Facebook page for Tuskegee alumni only, a piece where I broke the news that Tuskegee was about to have a reduction in force. This alumni asked other grads if this was a factual story. A week after my story was published, it was announced at a Tuskegee National Alumni Association Conference that the workforce would be reduced by 100 employees.
I won my first journalism award in 1977, long before many of my critics were born. I know the difference between a news story and a piece based on an opinion. Moreover, I did not play around at Tuskegee. I actually learned something when I was a student.
Let there be no question about it, this piece, “Tuskegee Board Should Fire Prez Today,” is an editorial. It is my considerable opinion, that Johnson has got to go! Fire him now!
He is about to run the university into the ground. If something is not done and done in a hurry the hard work of Lewis Adams, Booker T. Washington, Robert Russo Moton, Frederick D. Patterson, and Luther Hilton Foster will have been in vain.
Dr. Brian Johnson should be fired because he has proven to be incapable of raising money, maintaining the accreditation of the university and preserving the legacy of excellence that Tuskegee is known for all over the world.
The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for me is a quote attributed to Dr. Johnson by Dennis Elam, an assistant professor at Texas A & M University in his blog at www.themarketperspective.com. Professor Elam, follows trends in the market. His opinions are recognized in the industry as being reliable because they are based on sound judgment and research.
It seems that Elam has undertaken a study of the risks associated with student loan debt. His research suggests that a student loan bubble is on the horizon similar to the housing bubble that caused the economic downturn in 2008.
Tuskegee University’s paltry 45 percent graduation rate caught Elam’s attention, as did Dr. Johnson’s rather cavalier attitude towards the fact that it takes Tuskegee six years to graduate so few students.
According to Elam, Johnson defends the schools dilemma with this question: “And so the president asks ‘are we only going to take students that can graduate? The mission is important but so is survival.'”
To which Elam responded, “In other words, his school has to admit students it knows won’t finish just to pay the now bloated overhead, i.e, to survive.”
Elam drives the dagger further into Johnson’s shallow brain, “Well gee Brian, other than taking their tuition for false purposes, what [is] it the point of taking those who cannot graduate?”
If this is not enough to shame every member on the Board of Trustees into discharging their fiduciary duty and immediately firing Johnson, nothing can save the “Pride of the Swift Growing South.”
Moreover, I hate to tell you, but if in fact, what Johnson is quoted as saying is the Tuskegee scheme, the university is perpetuating a fraud on the government student loan program and there will probably be hell to pay.
Fire Johnson today. Do it before Tuskegee is faced with a student loan crisis like Morris Brown College. Fire him before we get so far down we can not get back up. Fire him before the feds come in and prosecute every member on the Board of Trustees for criminal negligence for allowing Johnson to admit unqualified students just so he can get federal student aid funds to pay the school’s bills. Do it and bring in a proven fundraiser. Do it and keep yourselves out of jail. Do it and preserve the wonderful legacy of Tuskegee University.
SOURCES:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/colleges-push-back-on-student-debt-forgiveness-plan-1470871006
Harold Michael Harvey is an American novelist and essayist, the author of Paper puzzle and Justice in the Round; and the host of Beyond the Law with Harold Michael Harvey. He can be contacted at haroldmichaelharvey.com.
Please before the sun comes up!!!
Sooner rather than later!
Sir:
There is currently a team of auditors on campus for the next 3 weeks as we speak!
The auditors who monitor the endowment are separate and external from the current administration that has not been able to provide an adequate financial report in year(s). Yes yes years that is plural under Johnson and Rochon!
Maybe the TU Board of Trustees having their integrity, competence, ethical and moral character brought into question will finally place Chairman Page in the position to disregard his similar upbringing/”affinity” for Johnson and save his stellar reputation and creditials.
Like Paul Ryan and Donald Trump; Chairman Page appears to be “Not quite there yet”….
I suggest he get there quickly, lead the charge and stand on the right side of history! The alumni will soon question Chairman Page’s leadership! He has to make the right decision! If he can not; someone else on the board MUST!
Now is the time for all good alumnus to come to the aid of their university.
AMEN
Amen!
Where are other alumni who feel similarly? We are in dire need of plan and action- from Trustees to President we need a reset led by Alumni, with a strong contingent of “under 30”
Another call to action. I hope they are reading and listening and will step up and provide the leadership the university needs at this critical period in history.
How? What can we do to make this happen or to get someone’s attention?
It’s time to organize. Several people have commented on this thread with a similar question. Time to organize and making plans outside of the channel of the school approved alumni clubs.
I won’t go into details about your accurate predictions about the student loan bubble that is going to burst. I will say that Tuskegee is on the verge of going the way of the dinosaur if it does not drastically change course. FYI: In addition to the student loan bubble that will burst, mark my words: We are going to see a Brain Drain as our best minds exit this country for greater opportunities elsewhere.
I think you are right about the “Brain Drain.” The brightest and the best no longer have to settle for second rate institutions that fail to offer the course of study that suits their interest.All of our schools, especially our HBCUs have to be in a constant state of improvement in order to stay ahead of the curve. I will be watching the Brain Drain paradigm shift now that you have brought it to my attention.
I would not allow my child to attend Tuskegee currently (academic warning status, significant financial deficits, no access to health medical care or fresh quality food).
Any Tuskegeean recruiting for the school at this point should also be on the hook to refund any students money they convince to attend. The Wall Street Journal article alone is reason to not #TrustTheTrajectory.
The slogan should be #Don’tTrustTheTrajectory
Fact check fact check and fact check again.
Surely, I was one of the so called students that was not expected to graduate. Coming from a poor beginning and raised on public education. Being at Tuskegee caused me to raise my level of focus, and eventually graduate. (5 years). Start a business, and repay my student loan. It is my understanding that Tuskegee was created for people like me, not the prepared, and pre polished. Tuskegee gave me a chance when other institutions would not.
Congratulation to you. Where there is a will there is always a way. Tuskegee was founded because there was no school in East Alabama for Black children, prepared or otherwise. We have to make sure that the doors remain open for students like yourself and the polished. This university means much not only to Tuskegee graduates, but to the larger Black community as well. It would be a shame that a bit of foolishness at the top causes this legacy to come tumbling down.
Thank you, I agree!!
Thank you.
I am thankful for your honest account of what’s happening at TU. What can we do to effect change?
Kahlia Bell, thank you for your comment. I do not have the answers, but I know without knowledge of what is transpiring at our dear university, we could not begin to effect any change. The key to resolving any problem is to organize around a group of people who share your concerns. Together, the Tuskegee family can overcome this challenge.
Thank you for your comments. I do not have the answers, but I know that organization is the key to solving any problem.
I am not questioning the validity of your article. I just attended my first national alumni meeting (and I was delegate for my chapter). The president received a glowing review from the leaders! I will admit that I may not know who everyone present was. I am sure the president of alumni association I think he is from Alabama and the chairman of the board both gave outstanding reviews on the new president and progress the university has made under the new president. The chairman gave a solid financial report on the financial status of the university! We did not receive any hard copies but the chairman said the university was not in trouble academic or financial and is fiscally sound! Everyone who spoke in Vegas said everything being reported was false and that Johnson inherited Payton’s and Rochon’s mistakes.
The new president of the Atlanta’s club even said after the president spoke that the Atlanta club fully supported Johnson and were behind him 110%!
I again am not questioning you, well I guess I am!
I am new to this whole thing and apologize for being a helicopter alumni. Meaning I fly in and hover or Tuskegee for homecoming only….. I still consider myself a young alumni….? Under 30!
BUT …. If the chairman says there are no financial problems and our accreditation is not in danger….. Well!
If the president of a club you claim or reported took a vote of no confidence says they are 110% behind Johnson then…. Well were you there??
Again I am just asking because I just don’t know what or who to believe!
I’m just saying please help me understand if…….someone has their facts wrong!
Carmen, thank you for your comments and your request for information: As I understand your question you ar not sure whether to believe the report you received at the TNAA conference or news reports you read via my blog. You specifically ask if I was present during the Atlanta Tuskegee Alumni Club February meeting where a vote of no confidence in the performance of Dr. Johnson and the Board of Trustees was made. First, a lesson in reading newspapers or magazine. Whenever you see an article stamped with a date line that gives the location of the event at the beginning of the story, that means that the reporter is present on site witnessing the events as they occur. You will note that the article where the no vote of confidence was issued had such a date line. Here is a link to that article:
https://haroldmichaelharvey.com/2016/02/20/tuskegee-alums-no-vote-of-confidence/
The bold type, ATLANTA, Georgia Cascade Press (CP) indicates that Cascade Press had a reporter at this event (me). Because, our date line indicated that I was present at the meeting, I wanted to make sure that the readers knew that I did not participate in the meeting as an alumni and then wrote from a biased position (journalism ethics requires a journalist to disclose any possible bias up front), so at the end of the article you will note that an Editor’s Note was included to indicate that the reporter did not participate in the discussion or cast a vote on the issues on the floor. See the editor’s note below:
EDITOR’S NOTE: Harold Michael Harvey is a dues paying member of the Atlanta Tuskegee Alumni Club but neither participated in the discussion nor cast a vote on either motion.
Yes, Carmen, I was in the room when the vote took place. I duly recorded what transpired at the meeting down to the vote on both items. I did not argue for or against the votes of no confidence, nor did I vote on either of them, because I did not want my report to be biased. I wanted those who were not in attendance to have a clear view of what had taken place. I have no reason to lie, or to fabricate anything. You are free to believe what you want about my reporting, but I will continue to report the facts as I see them and when I offer an opinion I will be sure to label the article as an editorial so the reader will know that I am expression my opinion as oppose to reporting an objective news story. I hope this clears up in your mind what I observed at the Atlanta meeting. I have no doubt that you witnessed in Vegas what you have recounted in your comments. I do not doubt that those representations were made before your very eyes. So too were the events of the February 20, 2016 meeting of the Atlanta Tuskegee Alumni Club made before my very eyes. I brought the report back that I had observed. Just think how you would feel,if I doubted that you saw in Vegas what you say you saw.
This is why I am baffled. Wait let me say I make it a point to learn something new each day.? I had no idea about the journalism citing. Thank you sincerely for educating me. I am slightly embarrassed. ?
How or why would the chairman say the school is in a good place financially if we are not? ?Why would Atlanta’s club president not send their vote up? Why would the president then say the Atlanta club supported Johnson 110% if the club took a vote that said they don’t have confidence in Johnson.
I am a young alumni and currently back in school working on another advanced degree. I chose the field of education. I don’t earn a lot. I feel like older alumni and the Univeristy don’t respect you or listen if you are not one of those older big donors! ?
I just want to know what I can do to help save the school from what appears to be a possible demise. ???How do we contact the chairman, who hires and fires Johnson?
You posed several significant questions in the second paragraph of your comment. Frankly, I do not have the answers. Their public posture baffles me as well. I applaud your efforts to obtain an advanced degree and wish you well in your chosen field of education. I will follow up with the names and addresses of the members of the Board of Trustees and will submit that to you under separate cover.
Thank you for the very informative article. I would like to know more… I am a Tuskegee Alum and the author of the book Booker T. Washington and Africa: The Making of A Pan Africanist. I had a lot of interaction with the university while writing both my dissertation and then the book. At one point I was actively seeking to join the TU faculty during the change from Richon to Johnson. But things didn’t look good then…
Thank you again for the article, please check out the book, it is all about Washington’s clandestine role in Africa, and what he attempted to do with the Tuskegee model, once perfected. You can read about the cases and purchase the book via the site. BookerTWashingtonandAfrica.com
Thank you for your comments. I reference Booker T. Washington’s role in developing schools in Africa in my book Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System. You can purchase it on this website. I will be sure to order a copy of your book. It sounds like a very interesting topic.
THANKS FOR SHARING THIS MOST SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION.I AM FELING DISMAYED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.IS THERE ANY WAY AS ALUMS WE CAN HAVE WEEK END SUMMIT ON CAMPUS OR AT ANOTHER LOCATION TO ADRESSS THESE ISSUES RIGHT AWAY.WE NEED
A COPY OF THE OPERATING BUDGET,DEBTS OWED,ENDOWED MENT FUND UP DATE,FUND RAISING PLANS,AND PROJECTIONS.IT IS CRICAL THAT WE BECOME PROACTIVE AND ADRESS THE ISSUES THAT YOU IDENTIFIED.
Your suggestion would be a good beginning. However, neither the administration or the Board of Trustees believe there is a problem and are unlikely to sanction the release of this information to a group of alumni.You have to be the change you seek if you want to help dear old Tuskegee.
Several years ago I recommended to several TU board members and alumni that a new business model be implemented by TU. The first step in this model would require open communication in the form of effective University functions, by releasing the board of trustees minutes annually on the official TU website. Their is no current process to uniformly releasing such information.
The benefits of such an action, it would hold all stakeholders and the Tuskegee President accountable to its many publics. Our well heeled Alumni with a certain skill set would be able to create a nimble competitive change process where needed. Not overruling the governing bodies but making recommendation that would keep Tuskegee relevant.
The days of secret black societies are over! As we can see from the fruits of that labor has ended in mass closings of our institution. When I graduated from TU in the late 80″s there 120 HBCU and now there are less than 95 today.
Shining a spotlight on the Board’s proceedings would greatly impact not only the perception, it would also impact the problems that exist.
Tuskegeeans will deserve exactly whatever they allow these money hungry, back alley deal cutting leaches to do to us!
If these board members don’t realize how their decisions or lack of action reflects on them professionally there is nothing else to be said. When I first received the WSJ article I was elated. Until I took the time to read the article in its entirety. Brian Johnson basically said he is pimping our children. The lack of response from the board and alumni sends a signal that this is okay. As long as Brian, obviously the board and their crew get their money and homecoming is not disturbed who cares!!!
I am tuning in late but it doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out something in the milk ain’t clean. How could a man with the creditials of Brian Johnson ever even be considered to enter Lincoln Gates! Why would the chairman who is an attorney or rather legal counsel for a major corporation allow this infidel to stay and tear down Tuskegee.
Follow the money find the truth.
Scratch a lie find a thief.
I do give and when I learned how much money this idiot was spending monthly on the back of Tuskegee I puked! They pay this kid $350,000, for what? To wear glow sticks on his head at block parties?
Everyone fell for that ploy about the new president giving the school a $100,000 gift! Wait on it! No he will give it after he is at Tuskegee 5 years! Who will get a kickback out of the incentives and benefits the clown is over in the meantime?
Let them eat cake!
We don’t deserve Brian Johnson but if we don’t do something quick, we will deserve whatever we get!
Thank you for taking the time to actually read the Wall Street Journal report and for weighing in on this issue.
Harold Harvey:
I don’t know you but I appauld what you do. I did a little background on you this morning and you are a very cool cat!
So many alums are of the opinion if we remain silent and pray it will all work out. I am not! I refuse! I will be headed to the campus with a group from Detroit, Chicago and Cincinnati soon. Please have anyone from the classes of 86- 91, Russell or Bethune Halls contact me. We as men must stand up and not let the university fall down! Or anyone interested in getting some answers and forcing some resignations.
I applaud your willingness to work for the integrity of Tuskegee University. I will pass your message on. Please let me know when you will be on campus with your group and if available, I will drive over and be with you.
All of you are wasting your time! It is unfortunate but blacks are reactive not proactive. This come a multi-racial person. I am so glad I got a second degree from an Ivy League to balance the lazy alumni at Tuskegee.
I was drug out to an alumni meeting today. Hate to even admit it my sorors are the major contributors to the destruction of the University. Advising us privately to stay quiet indicating the board who get rid of the problem after the next accreditation review.
Ivy League was so different! The difference is black and white! Children not safe, school on warning, no financial report in 6 years. Only at an HBCU is this possible and someone’s head not roll.
Are you the only man willing to speak up?
Why are more alumni not willing to standing up?
Sometimes I feel like I am. A few will send private messages, but seldom will they go public.
Who hired the president?
Who is responsible for his contract?
Whom can we contact to ask that they terminate him?
Please post or send us this information!
The Board of Trustees hires the president. I will get the contact information and post as soon as possible.