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Obama Administration Focuses on HBCUs During Commencement Season

By Jeff Mays on May 5th 2010 1:04PM
Filed under: News, President Obama, Race and Civil Rights

Comments (3)

HBCUs

The Obama administration is focusing on Historically Black Colleges and Universities this commencement season.

Both President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are speaking at HBCUs commencements this year: The President will speak at Hampton University, while Michelle Obama will grace the stage at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff. In all, 11 Obama officials will speak at HBCUs.

This is a great gesture on behalf of the administration. Obama has said he wants to increase the percentage of college graduates in this country, and focusing on HBCUs, community and smaller colleges is a great way to do it. HBCUs produce more than 20 percent of black college graduates, and half of students at HBCUs are the first in their families to go to college. These same students are also in need of financial assistance, with more than 50 percent qualifying for Pell grants.

Obama got off to a rough start with the nation's HBCUs; their budgets decreased by $85 million under his first budget cuts, but then he increased funding from $13 million to $98 million for 2011.




According to the Washington Post:

Obama's budget also includes $20.5 million for repair, renovation, construction and acquisition of HBCU educational facilities. The funding will support $279 million in new loans in 2011, $100 million more than in 2010. And the budget provides $64.5 million for the Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Instruction program, a 5-percent increase to a Title III program that aids graduate programs.

Obama also renewed the White House Initiative on HBCUs via executive order.

We must judge the president by his words and actions. By increasing funding and then sending out his administration to highlight the importance of HBCUs, he is following through on both.

Here is a list of the Obama administration officials and where they will speak:

Secretary Robert Gates, Department of Defense, will speak at Morehouse College.
Secretary Arne Duncan, Department of Education, will speak at Xavier University.
Administrator Charles Bolden, NASA, will speak at Huston-Tillotson University.
Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the president, will speak at Morgan State University.
Melody Barnes, director, White House Domestic Policy Council, will speak at Virginia Union University.
Ambassador Susan Rice, United Nations, will speak at Spellman College.
John Wilson, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, is scheduled to speak to Wilberforce University, Wiley College and Harris-Stowe State University.

Check out this eight-person drumline from Virginia State University getting down at the White House:


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