Cleo Fields said "I often wonder today, had I not had the opportunity to attend Southern University and had the opportunity to be freshman class president and president of an entire student body and had to manage a budget in excess of $150,000 as a young college student, or had the opportunity to travel abroad, representing a student body of 10,000 students and then having the opportunity to compete to serve on the board of regents as the student representative, but for that foundation at Southern, I do not know if I would have had the opportunity to serve in the State senate at a very young age and serve now in Congress at a very young age. Southern, that HBCU was a place to prepare me to be a young leader or to be a person who was able to be elected to public office, and the same thing it did to you and for you and for other Members of the CBC." @ PoliticalQuotes.com

On the recordSeptember 11, 1996

I often wonder today, had I not had the opportunity to attend Southern University and had the opportunity to be freshman class president and president of an entire student body and had to manage a budget in excess of $150,000 as a young college student, or had the opportunity to travel abroad, representing a student body of 10,000 students and then having the opportunity to compete to serve on the board of regents as the student representative, but for that foundation at Southern, I do not know if I would have had the opportunity to serve in the State senate at a very young age and serve now in Congress at a very young age. Southern, that HBCU was a place to prepare me to be a young leader or to be a person who was able to be elected to public office, and the same thing it did to you and for you and for other Members of the CBC.

Said by

Cleo Fields

Democratic · Louisiana

Source

govinfo.gov

Editor's note · Context

Reflecting on the impact of HBCUs on leadership development during a speech.

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