UNCF Supports Introduction of Bill to Repair Backlog of HBCU Deferred Maintenance
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Posted By: Kennedy Williams on June 07, 2021 A bill to make investments and repairs on Historically Black College and University (HBCU) campuses was recently introduced in Congress, and UNCF has endorsed the legislation. H.R. 3294, the Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for HBCU Excellence Act (IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act), was introduced by Representatives Alma Adams (NC) and French Hill (AR) in the House and by Senators Chris Coons (DE) and Tim Scott (SC) in the U.S. Senate. “The infrastructure needs of HBCUs is a decades-old issue and the time has come to address those needs,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president, and CEO of UNCF. “We appreciate this bipartisan group of legislators who have identified a way to make a major impact on our campuses. This investment, which is absolutely needed, speaks to larger issues such as underfunding of HBCUs, systemic ways of accessing capital that disadvantages both Black people and Black organizations like HBCUs, and the needs of students who bring both diversity and aptitude to our nation’s future workforce. We offer our support, and we call on the Congress to pass this bill during this session.” “UNCF endorsed the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act because it is the natural progression in recent HBCU investment,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president of public policy and government affairs of UNCF. “In the past few years, Congress has responded to our calls to eradicate government-held debt, invest in HBCU STEM programs, and help stabilize the institutions and our students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next need for HBCUs is to finally complete the deferred maintenance on the campuses. HBCUs deserve this investment because the economic output of the institutions impacts our nation by nearly $15 billion annually, supports over 134,000 jobs annually, and produces classes that will earn over $130 billion over the lifetimes of the graduates. This is simply a no-brainer for Congress, and we call on every congressperson and senator with an HBCU in their district or state—or graduates as constituents—to endorse this legislation.” SOURCE: UNCF If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Kennedy Williams
From Loganville, GA Spelman College class of 2020 Member Since July 2016 |
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