Since last year, there has been pressure by different civil rights groups and political leaders to protect the future of historically black colleges and universities that are in danger of closing due to financial constricts by providing more funding. Now, Democratic Rep. Alma S. Adams (N.C.) is leading the charge by penning a bipartisan letter to request more funding for the nation’s HBCUs.
Adams, in addition to Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-OH) and Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R- Mo.) as well as 24 additional members of Congress, have come together to send a letter to Secretary of Agriculture David Perdue requesting more funding for the 2020 fiscal year be issued for all historically black colleges and universities to weather the financial storm brought by the COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, pandemic.
The bipartisan letter also calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue final guidance on Section 7114 of the 2018 Farm Bill which Rep. Adams introduced in 2018 as the Carryover Equity Act.
“1890 Land-Grant Universities, like all historically black colleges and universities, are suffering during this pandemic. The USDA should promptly provide them with the funding they need to provide for their students and faculty, as well as the farmers and larger communities they serve,” said Congresswoman Adams in a press statement.
“Additionally, finalizing the implementation of the Carryover Equity Act is a major issue of equality and fair treatment under the law for the nineteen 1890 Land-Grant Universities. These institutions, especially during this time of financial crisis, deserve a swift resolution to this decades-long injustice they have faced under the existing law. While our HBCUs are stronger than COVID-19, they need a hand up right now. I ask that USDA act promptly to provide desperately needed funding and guidance to these schools so that they can continue their mission to educate the farmers and agricultural researchers of tomorrow.”