Brown Attends United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF) First
Annual State of The HBCU Address
At Event, Senator is
Recognized as One of the Leaders in Congress Working to
Support HBCUs, Like Wilberforce and Central State in Ohio
Last week, U.S. Senator
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) attended the United Negro College
Fund’s (UNCF’s) first annual State of the Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Address. At the event,
Brown was recognized as a member of the HBCU Congressional
Honor Roll. Brown is one of just 59 members of Congress who
were recognized for being champions and strong advocates for
HBCUs during the 115th Congress. Only 10 percent of the
Senate was named to the Honor Roll, along with just 49 of
the 435 House members.
“HBCUs have fostered
generations of African American leaders in law, academia,
agriculture, politics, health care, and the sciences, who
otherwise might have been denied the opportunity. HBCUs have
a rich tradition in helping make our workforce more diverse
and they do an incredible job of providing opportunity to
underrepresented and low-income students,” said Brown. “It’s
critical we continue to secure the kinds of investments
needed to ensure these institutions, which have anchored our
communities for years, can continue training the next
generation of leaders.”
“As the President of
Wilberforce University, I was proud to be a part of the
inaugural State of the HBCUs address and, more importantly,
I was proud to see Senator Sherrod Brown in attendance,”
said Elfred Anthony Pinkard, PhD. “Senator Brown has been a
great representative for the State of Ohio and for issues
pertinent to HBCUs. He is well deserving of the HBCU Honor
Roll distinction.”
“Senator Sherrod Brown has
been an advocate for HBCUs and issues impacting low-income,
first generation college students for years,” said Michael
Lomax, PhD, president and CEO of UNCF. “When we contemplated
who would serve on our inaugural HBCU Honor Roll, it was
without question that the Senator would be on the list. We
know that we can count on Senator Brown to be a partner on
issues near and dear to the HBCU community.”
Senator Brown has long
fought to secure funding for HBCUs like Central State
University and Wilberforce University in Ohio:
• In FY 2018, Brown helped
secure a 14 percent increase in HBCU appropriations,
including additional money for Title III programs, $10
million to provide deferments of loans made under the HBCU
Capital Financing Loan program and $20 million to cover the
loans of the program. The funding will also bolster research
opportunities for HBCUs. That funding was again secured in
the FY 2019 appropriations bill, and Brown will continue
fighting to ensure future investments for HBCUs.
• In the 2014 Farm Bill,
Brown helped secure Central State University’s recognition
as an 1890 Land Grant University. For more than 100 years,
Central State University was denied 1890 Land-Grant status,
meaning it was ineligible for funding from the USDA for its
innovative scientific research. In 2014, Brown along with
Reps. Fudge and Beatty, helped correct that injustice in the
last Farm Bill by ensuring Central State received land-grant
status.
• In the 2018 bill, Brown
authored and fought to secure investments<https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-1890-land-grant-hbcu-presidents-applaud-historic-investments-in-2018-farm-bill->
that will ensure the 1890s can expand their research
capacity and outreach in the coming years.
UNCF is the nation’s largest
and most effective minority education organization. To serve
youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’
education and development through scholarships and other
programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and
universities, and advocates for the importance of minority
education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other
historically black colleges and universities are highly
effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American
baccalaureate degrees. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000
students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across
the country.
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