[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 24498-24499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING NATIONAL HBCU WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 17, 2007

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this 
opportunity to celebrate National Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities week, which took place the second week of September. It is 
a pleasure to recognize HBCUs because, had it not been for a 
historically Black college, I would not be here today. Not only have 
HBCUs made a positive impact on and provided a rich heritage to me and 
my family's lives, they lay a foundation for many men and women of 
color.
  At the age of 16, I left home to attend what was then Arkansas A&M 
College at Pine Bluff, later named the University of Arkansas at Pine 
Bluff. Following in my footsteps were 6 of my siblings, 3 nephews, 1 
niece, and a half dozen first cousins. As an HBCU alumnus, I share a 
history with many notable and honored leaders within our country. 
W.E.B. Du Bois, who is considered the father of sociology due to his 
thesis called ``Study of the Philadelphia Negro,'' attended Fisk 
University in Nashville, TN. The education and training that Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr., received at Morehouse College, located in Atlanta, 
GA, surely worked together with his experiences in the Black church to 
develop his incredible eloquence and keen analysis of social problems. 
Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Chief Justice of the United States 
Supreme Court, attended Lincoln University in Chester, PA, which is 
known as the first historically Black college founded in 1854.
  As an HBCU graduate, I know firsthand the needs and values of these 
institutions. This is why I am especially proud that during this HBCU 
week, Congress can say it provided $170 million in grants for HBCUs 
over the next 5 years via the College Cost Reduction and

[[Page 24499]]

Access Act. All 99 HBCUs that currently receive Federal funds will 
benefit from these new resources to strengthen their capacity to 
continue the tradition of developing Black talent into leadership. 
Indeed, I benefit from the leaders produced by these institutions given 
that at least 4 members of my staff had the privilege of attending an 
HBCU.
  HBCUs are not only necessary for individuals who come from certain 
economic backgrounds, they contain a great deal of history and culture. 
The College Cost Reduction Act will enhance our ability to keep these 
institutions alive and vibrant. I am pleased that we can celebrate 
these new resources during this recent HBCU week.

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