Urban Dictionary defines “three the hard way” as an impossibility, something that’s very hard to achieve. We at Journey like to define it as regal, royal and presidential. We like to define it as being the first permanent female president of Florida A&M University. We define it as being the head of the student body and the voice for the ________ as a board of trustees member. We at Journey define “three the hard way” as being more than just a smile that walks and waves while serving as the “pretty face” of the university.
President Elmira Mangum, student body President and BOT member Tonnette Graham and the 108th Miss Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, Dominique L. James, are three of FAMU’s most influential women, and Journey sat down with them to discuss the glamour, the _______________ and the future of FAMU.
It’s a beautiful Monday morning and the flags are waving high in front of Lee Hall. The elevator accelerates to the fourth floor, and Journey, for the first time, is standing inside the office suite of the first permanent female president of FAMU. Mangum, Graham and James are elegantly dressed – Mangum in a deep forest green suit with pumps to match, Graham in a camel-colored skirt suit with pearl jewelry, and James in a well-fitted black dress with black pumps and her beautiful sash draped perfectly across her shoulders. They laugh and giggle like schoolgirls about how their hair is always laid and how their eyebrows “stay onfleek,” but we quickly learn that they are much more than pretty faces. Each of these women has different responsibilities to uphold, and they all handle them – gracefully. When asked about their biggest female inspirations, they all mentioned family members. “It would have to be my mother, Alice Mangum, and other than that, Barbara Jordan,” Mangum said. “My mother is the strongest woman I know.” James follows shortly after. “My female inspiration would have to be my 5-year-old niece Maleah,” she said. “There’s an innocence about her that’s undeniable. She inspires me to be better, so I can tell her to be better.”
And Graham closes. “Mine is my godmother, who is also a FAMU alumna,” she said. “She’s just always challenged me to be great, and as a female strive to be the best and never settle for mediocrity.”
It’s a pivotal time for the university and there are so many women in decision-making positions. “I’m a firm believer that women are the neck of anybody,” James said. “No matter if we’re in the front or behind, we turn the head in the appropriate direction. We have the final decision.” Mangum said the time has come for women to lead from in front. “We’ve always led, but it’s always been from behind, so it’s good to have the first seat,” Mangum said. Women bring special strengths, skills and knowledge to any position, so some would agree that it’s only fitting that we have the opportunity to be in the front. Mangum said that in her new leadership role, FAMU will be a fully-restored, best-in-class university five years from now. She said we will be a quality institution of higher learning.
“It’s about building a brand and a quality of education that is appealing to prospective students,” Mangum said. “We want quality and to expose that quality to the rest of the world.”
There are visions and legacies that these three women want to achieve during their tenures. All of them, in their respective positions, will leave their mark on FAMU. Graham has a personal legacy goal. “I want my legacy to be that I was driven by the student body and at the latter of my tenure, that students will acknowledge that hopefully I left FAMU in a better position than when I found it,” she said. In her role as Miss FAMU, James is afforded the privilege of travelling to other HBCUs and meeting their campus queens. She attributes the queen that she is to the other 103 queens that she’s met.
“We experience the same quarrels and issues, and it’s refreshing to know that I’m not the only one,” James said. “It’s very hard being the face of your entire university, and after traveling, I can say that FAMU has the best student body and the best administration.”
So the next thing Journey wanted to cover was what these ladies are like outside of their roles: What are their favorite pastimes? What’s t their favorite Rattler memory and, most importantly, what’s the secret to the “FAMU flip?”
James said there’s really nothing to it. “It’s no secret,” she said. “You just need a comb, a good flat iron and a silk pillowcase.” While some may prefer to get dolled up with lipstick and lashes, James lets Journey in on a little secret while dishing on the toughest part of being a role model. “The upkeep of my image is vital,” James said. “I’ve always been a glamour girl, but I really hate putting on makeup every day.” Graham takes pride in being a third-generation Rattler and admits that as a Tallahassee native, FAMU homecomings are her fondest memories. “Coming to the games and anticipating the parade, convocation, pep rallies, any Tallahassee native can tell you when it’s homecoming it’s a week off from school,” Graham said. This past homecoming was highly anticipated and generated a big buzz. Graham shared her passion for bringing back the “traditional “ homecoming experience. “It’s very rewarding,” she said. “Coming in as a freshman, my classmates and I say all the time, ‘That was probably the last time we’ve had a real homecoming.’ ” As for hobbies, you might find that you and Mangum share some of the same, such as playing golf, skiing and playing with pets – in this case, her Bullboxer dog. The inaugural convocation ceremony for Mangum has come and gone, the Graham-Mackey administration has delivered an unforgettable homecoming experience to the students, and James has been crowned, officially becoming Miss FAMU.
It’s a new season for FAMU, and whether you know it or not, it’s driven by you. We will continue to DOMOnate as a best-in-class university, and it seems that this time around, three isn’t so hard.