In Honor of National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week
IN HONOR OF NATIONAL HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WEEK -- (House of Representatives - September 14, 2006)
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from New York.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from Illinois is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Texas, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, for her leadership in making this week happen. Her resolution, H. Res. 928, passed the House on July 26, 2006, designating the week of September 10, 2006, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. I also want to commend Minority Whip Steny Hoyer for organizing this discussion this evening.
Mr. Speaker, there are 103 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States that serve over 260,000 undergraduate students, with just over a quarter of all HBCUs offering either a first professional degree, a master's degree in business administration, or a J.D. or doctorate degree.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities are defined as institutions established prior to 1964 with the principal mission of educating African Americans. HBCUs educated approximately 14 percent of the Nation's African American undergraduate students, awarding almost one-quarter, 23.1 percent, of all bachelor's degrees to black students. Almost half, 46.8 percent, of the undergraduate students attending HBCUs received Pell Grants, indicating that these institutions provide key educational opportunities for low-income African Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I have 10 brothers and sisters. We grew up in rural Arkansas, where my parents were low-income sharecroppers. Seven of us attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. I also have three nephews and a niece who attended the same school, plus a number of cousins. I strongly believe that perhaps none of us would have been able to attend college had it not been for the fact that the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which then was Arkansas AM&N College, existed.
These schools provide a nurturing environment and provide instructors that I remember even to this day. I remember the President, we called him ``Prexy,'' Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Sr., who would often let us register, whether we had the money to pay our tuition or not. His son, Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr., is now the current chancellor and is just doing an outstanding job.
I remember a cousin of mine who graduated from UAPB and then moved to Champaign, Illinois, got his master's degree, Willie Summerville, who was honored by the City of Champaign a few weeks ago for being its outstanding citizen. He organized a choir and took it to Rome to sing for the Pope.
I could go on and on and think of just any number of outstanding individuals who were able to demonstrate their abilities and competency because of these institutions.
I think of many of my colleagues. As a matter of fact, a majority of my colleagues who are African American graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities: JESSE JACKSON, Jr., and his daddy, Jesse Jackson, Sr. I think of Representative ALCEE HASTINGS, who went to Fisk University, and on and on and on and on.
But the real deal is these institutions are worth their weight in gold. They have contributed significantly to the development of our country. They need all of the support that they can get.
So, again, I thank Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for establishing this week and congratulate all of these institutions for the tremendous job that they do.
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