Universally referred to by its acronym, FAMU (fam-you), Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University was founded in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students, with 15 students and two instructors. Today it’s home to a population of about 10,000 students of all races, as well as the Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center & Museum . A forerunner in research on African American influence on US history and culture, the center and museum holds one of the country’s largest collections of African American and African artifacts as well as a huge collection of papers, photographs, paintings and documents pertaining to black American life.
