Lawmakers and members of the California Colleges Board of Governors recently announced new legislature recognizing HBCUs.
Already formally proclaimed, the resolution, known as ARC 222, officially recognizes the fourth week of September as Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. Through celebrations, the newest legislature seeks to officially acknowledge the impact of HBCUs and honor the successes of Black students.
The resolution will now move forward to the Senate and the Governor where they will also consider its passage.
In previous iterations of HBCU Week, such as the official HBCU Week, institutions have used celebrations such as college fairs to get young adults to enroll in higher learning institutes and have provided a variety of scholarships, including full rides.
#ICYMI PRESS RELEASE: @CalCommColleges Celebrate Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week in California.
— California Community Colleges (@CalCommColleges) August 19, 2024
READ: https://t.co/V1XhCggWNu#HBCU #CalCommunityColleges #Vision2030 #ICanGoToCollege pic.twitter.com/zwX6EKLZNQ
“HBCUs serve a paramount purpose in higher education for Black students and the economic mobility of Black Americans,” said the California Community Colleges Board of Governors member Pamela Haynes, per a press release. “Celebrating this is vital as the California Community Colleges affirm our commitment to equity in success, support and access. Our colleges serve the most diverse group of students in higher education.”
The announcement of the official proclamation of HBCU Week comes as the enrollment rates for HBCUs continue to boost. Since 1976, up until 2022, enrollment rates have reportedly increased by 54% with 10% of all Black students attending the higher learning institutions. Overall, between 2019 and 2022, there was a 30% increase in applications alone.
Attending an HBCU often gives Black students an advantage in getting into competitive fields. Per UNCF, in STEM fields alone, nearly 25% of all Black graduates with degrees in this sector are HBCU graduates.
Despite the higher rates and offerings, HBCUs have historically been underfunded. The Biden-Harris administration, however, has previously made strides in ensuring the learning institutions have the funds they need to help their students flourish.
In May, the administration announced a record-breaking $16 billion of monetary support for HBCUs. Nearly $9 billion more than the funds announced in the last round, the investments include more than $900 million for strengthening the institutions, over $11 billion in award money and more than $4 billion for educational benefits for American veterans.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to ensuring whole-of-government investment efforts in HBCUs continue at full momentum through the rest of FY 2024,” said a spokesperson per the press release. “These historic funding levels – the most by any administration – demonstrate President Biden and Vice President Harris’s ongoing commitment to HBCUs, which serve as an engine for upward economic mobility in our country.”
