FAASA LEGACY

 
FAASA was founded when seven institutions convened February 22-24, 1976, at the Ybor City Campus of Hillsborough Community College, with the purpose of developing, implementing, intensifying, and perpetuating a complete program to identify and address educational, economic, and cultural concerns of students of African descent enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the state of Florida. FAASA’s seven forming institutions gave it the name, ‘Florida Black Student Union’, (FBSU).

These seven forming institutions were: Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Hillsborough Community College, Indian River Community College, Miami-Dade Community College, Palm Beach Community College, and St. Petersburg Junior College. 

African American students at private colleges and universities had previously initiated similar meetings; however, they were regional rather than statewide, and these meetings tended to focus on the problems and concerns of African American students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The FBSU’s first official meeting represented the first statewide effort to unite Black students throughout the state of Florida to include public and private institutions. The first FBSU President’s Conference was held in 1976 at the University of Central Florida. This set the precedent for holding two major annual meetings: what is now the National Black Student Leadership Institute in the fall and The Annual State Convention in the spring.

The 1980s began with the organization being chartered and changing its name from the Florida Black Student Union to the Florida Black Student Association, FBSA. During the same period, FBSA established its “PACE Plan” to promote Political activism, Academic excellence, Cultural awareness, and Economic empowerment.

The organization changed its name again in 1989, as delegates at the 14th Annual State Convention, co-hosted by the Black Student Unions at Florida International University and Miami-Dade Community College, voted to adopt the name, Florida African American Student Association, Incorporated.
In the spring of 2015, FAASA founded its official 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, the Florida African American Student Association Education Foundation, Incorporated.

FAASA’s history has remained vibrant and productive, as we actively advance our mission and serve as the official voice for students of African descent at Florida’s colleges and universities.