Bobby Scott: “today I rise to recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. Historically Black Colleges and…”

“today I rise to recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. Historically Black Colleges and Universities play a critical role in the American higher education system. This year's theme--``The Tradition Continues: New Successes and Challenges''--is especially fitting considering the precarious state of affairs of higher education funding and student aid for all institutions of higher education. These theme is also appropriate as many HBCUs around the country welcomed students displaced last year by Hurricane Katrina. For most of America's history, African Americans who received a college education could only get it from and HBCU. Today, HBCUs remain one of the surest ways for an African American, or student of any race, to receive a high quality education. In 1965, Congress officially defined an HBCU in Title III of the Higher Education Act as an institution: whose principal mission was the education of black Americans; that is accredited; and that was established before 1964. The first HBCU, Cheney University in Pennsylvania, was founded in 1837. Today, there are 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I am proud to have 5 HBCUs in my home State of Virginia: Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Saint Paul's College, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University. HBCUs graduate far more than their share of African American professionals.…”