On the recordMarch 8, 2022
I thank the chairman for yielding, and a special thanks to Representative Alma Adams for her tireless efforts on behalf of our Nation's historically Black colleges and universities. HBCUs were built to educate and celebrate the Black community when very few would. At Xavier University in New Orleans, my mother was able to bring six children to class while she finished her college degree. Little did she know that her children and grandchildren would later attend and graduate from the very same university. We are barely 2 full months into the year, but dozens of HBCUs are on high alert amid several instances of racially motivated threats of violence. HBCUs are resilient institutions that can weather any storm but should not have to weather this type of storm. The threats to these higher education institutions are not just disrupting postsecondary education. They are disrupting the very underlying sense of safety and community of the HBCUs. The fact that this has been undermined is perhaps the biggest travesty of all. Let us be clear: These threats are acts of terror, and they must be urgently investigated and prosecuted. We must help foster safety in the HBCU communities. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
