By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), a member of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, and Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Congressional leadership urging them to expand the use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. According to Strickland, these funds will allow HBCUs to improve public safety measures and preserve historic buildings on their campuses.
“As a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, I recognize the powerful impact that HBCUs have on the students and communities they serve when it comes to educational access and economic opportunity. We must ensure these historic institutions have the resources needed to preserve and sustain themselves for generations to come,” said Strickland.
Since her start in Congress, Strickland has been a strong proponent of supporting HBCUs. This includes advocating for robust funding for infrastructure on the campuses of HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and helping to secure an amendment in the America Competes Act to increase funding for the Capacity Building Program for Developing Universities. Strickland is also a co-sponsor of the Ignite HBCU Excellence Act which provides funding for capital improvements, procurement, renovations, preservation, and extending broadband at HBCUs.
In the letter to Congressional leadership, Strickland and Adams urged Congress to look into funding the HBCUs to help elevate the service these colleges and universities provide for our Black student population.
“As Congress considers funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, we urge you to consider language to expand the allowable use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) provided to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs),” writes Strickland. “And, to permit HBCUs to address deferred maintenance, improve public safety measures, and preserve historic buildings on their campuses.”
Strickland and Adams went on to say that HBCUs since their inceptions HBCUs have helped level the playing field for the African American, and they continue to do so today.
“HBCUs were founded to provide postsecondary educational opportunities to Black Americans and others without regard to race, ethnicity, or socio-economic strata,” said Strickland. “Despite HBCUs’ contributions to the American society, economy, and culture, infrastructural issues at HBCUs present significant challenges to fulfilling HBCUs’ educational and social mission of supporting their students, faculty, staff, and the communities beyond. As such, we urge you to consider broadening the allowable uses of HEERF funds during FY22 appropriations to ensure HBCU campuses can continue to invest in generations to come.”
“Current guidance on the allowable use of funds prevents HBCUs from addressing significant campus infrastructure needs. HEERF funds have allowable uses for infrastructure improvements that are related to COVID-19, the letter continued. “However, if an HBCU has an infrastructure request unrelated to the impacts of COVID-19, such as building a new set of classrooms, then this request would not be allowed. Expansion of the allowable use of HEERF is needed to address longstanding and emerging concerns on HBCU campuses.”
According to Strickland and Adams, recent events like the murder of George Floyd, Police and justice reform, and the recent bomb threats against many HBCUs highlights the needs of additional resources to help the school address safety.
“The infrastructure needs of HBCUs were further underscored by recent bomb threats made at several HBCUs across the country in January and February 2022,” the letter reads. “Campus public safety measures are a vital part of the infrastructure at any college campus.”
“It is imperative that HBCUs receive the resources necessary to protect students and faculty,” the letter continues. “Threats of violence have no place on college campuses. While one substantive bill, H.R. 3294, the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, contains language permitting institutions of higher educations to apply for grants which “strengthen the safety and security of the[ir] campus,” relying on legislation that has yet to be passed does not address the limited ways in which HBCUs can address their infrastructure needs using HEERF funds. Expanding the allowable uses for HEERF funds already allocated to HBCUs ensures that HBCUs will be able to fully make use of the federal resources already provided to them to make much-needed improvements to their infrastructure.”
