Republican gubernatorial candidate and congressman Byron Donalds held a town hall at Florida A&M University Tuesday, fielding direct questions from students in a night that included student removals and a fire alarm interruption.
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Congressman Byron Donalds holds town hall at FAMU, fire alarm and student removals mark eventful night
Donalds’ visit gave students the opportunity to hear from him directly and ask their own questions.
Donalds opened the evening by reflecting on his own time at FAMU.
“I went to FAMU from ’96 to’ 99. I stayed at the Paddyfote dormitory. I know it doesn’t exist anymore, but I got to meet a lot of people when I came to FAMU, so it’s good to be back. I think in terms of what I’m doing right now, running to be the Florida governor, it’s about making sure that we have a government fully accountable to the people of our state,” Donalds said.
For students on campus, the visit carried significance beyond the politics.
“Being able to just have this open forum where students are allowed to feel like that their government officials are listening to them no matter what side they’re on. Just to be able to have that opportunity to be able to come here and voice a concern and voice a problem or issue that they have with certain things going on, I think it speaks to the legacy of FAMU,” FAMU student Evan Lesure said.
Later in the evening, Donalds opened the floor to student questions. One student pressed him directly on the disconnect between his policy positions and the lived experiences of Black Americans.
“Today, for many students here, there is a massive disconnect between the lived experiences of everyday Black Americans and a Black Republican lawmaker who champions policies that roll back civilized protections. How do you argue that you understand or care about the struggles of Black Americans when your political alignment and personal circle are rooted in spaces that historically exclude them,” the student said.
Donalds responded by emphasizing economic empowerment.
“I support, and I always work for the empowerment of people. I want people to be successful. I want poor Black kids to be successful. I want poor Hispanic kids to be successful because the future of this country, the future of our economy is going to be much more about your ability to earn, achieve, and pass something on to your children,” Donalds said.
At several points during the night, some students were removed from the event.
The town hall was scheduled to end at 9 p.m., but with more students still wanting to ask questions, Donalds said he would stay beyond the scheduled end time.
“When we do events, I always want to make sure that people have an opportunity to ask their questions, so I want to make sure that’s there,” Donalds said.
About 5 minutes later, a fire alarm went off inside Lee Hall, sending students and others at the event outside. Students were eventually allowed back inside, and Donalds returned to the room, continuing to take their questions and finishing the town hall.
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