[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 114 (Thursday, September 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H6620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN HONOR OF NATIONAL HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WEEK

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim 
the time of the gentleman from New York.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Illinois is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from 
Texas, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, for her leadership in 
making this week happen. Her resolution, H. Res. 928, passed the House 
on July 26, 2006, designating the week of September 10, 2006, as 
National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. I also want 
to commend Minority Whip Steny Hoyer for organizing this discussion 
this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, there are 103 Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities in the United States that serve over 260,000 undergraduate 
students, with just over a quarter of all HBCUs offering either a first 
professional degree, a master's degree in business administration, or a 
J.D. or doctorate degree.
  Historically Black Colleges and Universities are defined as 
institutions established prior to 1964 with the principal mission of 
educating African Americans. HBCUs educated approximately 14 percent of 
the Nation's African American undergraduate students, awarding almost 
one-quarter, 23.1 percent, of all bachelor's degrees to black students. 
Almost half, 46.8 percent, of the undergraduate students attending 
HBCUs received Pell Grants, indicating that these institutions provide 
key educational opportunities for low-income African Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I have 10 brothers and sisters. We grew up in rural 
Arkansas, where my parents were low-income sharecroppers. Seven of us 
attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. I also have three 
nephews and a niece who attended the same school, plus a number of 
cousins. I strongly believe that perhaps none of us would have been 
able to attend college had it not been for the fact that the University 
of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which then was Arkansas AM&N College, 
existed.
  These schools provide a nurturing environment and provide instructors 
that I remember even to this day. I remember the President, we called 
him ``Prexy,'' Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Sr., who would often let us 
register, whether we had the money to pay our tuition or not. His son, 
Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr., is now the current chancellor and is just 
doing an outstanding job.
  I remember a cousin of mine who graduated from UAPB and then moved to 
Champaign, Illinois, got his master's degree, Willie Summerville, who 
was honored by the City of Champaign a few weeks ago for being its 
outstanding citizen. He organized a choir and took it to Rome to sing 
for the Pope.
  I could go on and on and think of just any number of outstanding 
individuals who were able to demonstrate their abilities and competency 
because of these institutions.
  I think of many of my colleagues. As a matter of fact, a majority of 
my colleagues who are African American graduated from Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities: Jesse Jackson, Jr., and his daddy, 
Jesse Jackson, Sr. I think of Representative Alcee Hastings, who went 
to Fisk University, and on and on and on and on.
  But the real deal is these institutions are worth their weight in 
gold. They have contributed significantly to the development of our 
country. They need all of the support that they can get.
  So, again, I thank Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for 
establishing this week and congratulate all of these institutions for 
the tremendous job that they do.

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