For Immediate Release
Mashaun D. Simon
Spelman College
404-270-5893
msimon5@spelman.edu
Twitter
:@SpelmanMedia
Monique LeNoir
UNCF Communications
202-810-0231
monique.lenoir@uncf.org
ATLANTA, GA (March 5, 2019) —Spelman College joins the United Negro College Fund in recognizing Representative John Lewis (D-GA) and other members of Congress who have supported historically Black colleges and universities.
Today, UNCF released the first HBCU Congressional Honor Roll
, highlighting 59 members of Congress for their efforts on behalf of HBCUs and their students. The honor roll will be released annually and highlight members of Congress who have served as true champions and strong advocates for HBCUs and their students beyond their voting records.
Congressional support of HBCUs is vital to the continued success and sustainability of these institutions. Recognizing this, as well as the social and economic impact of HBCUs on this country and Georgia, Representative Lewis, as well as Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), and David Scott (D-GA), have taken strong steps to support HBCUs by joining the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and sponsoring legislation beneficial to HBCUs and the students they serve.
“College education is considered an engine of social mobility and HBCUs, like Spelman, have been among the top engines of social mobility for students of color. HBCUs uniquely afford young Black men and women opportunities that have far reaching benefits beyond the Black community,” said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. “The support of congressional lawmakers makes the impact and work of our institutions more successful. The new UNCF honor roll list enables institutional leaders, faculty and students to gauge the support of their elected officials and give them another tool with which to advocate.”
UNCF President and CEO Michael Lomax, Ph.D., believes the honor roll empowers the work HBCUs began more than 150 years ago and will help build on the gains made during the last Congress. “These gains included more than $100 million in additional support for HBCUs. However, our institutions still need significant investment in their infrastructure and innovation goals,” said Dr. Lomax. “In addition to releasing this honor roll, today I delivered the first ever ‘State of the HBCU Address.’ I called on all lawmakers to renew and increase their commitment to HBCUs, the students, and the communities they serve by providing additional funding for the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program and setting aside $1 billion for HBCU capital improvement.”
To view the full list or to watch the entire “State of the HBCU Address,” visit
UNCF.org/sothbcuaddress.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 51 among all liberal arts colleges and No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder
Marian Wright Edelman, Starbucks Group President and COO
Rosalind Brewer, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President
Audrey Forbes Manley, global bioinformatics geneticist
Janina Jeff and authors
Pearl Cleage and
Tayari Jones. For more information, visit
www.spelman.edu.
About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) 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. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
® Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.