• There are actually more than 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, located in 20 states and Washington, D.C.


• HBCUs have educated 40 percent of the Black members of Congress, half of our Black doctors, and the majority of Black federal judges.


• A quarter of Black graduates with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees come from HBCUs.


• HBCUs are not only holding our history–they are still making history every day. (Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands is currently being considered for a Grammy nomination. They could be the first collegiate band to ever receive the music industry’s highest honor for an entire album!)

Funding and supporting HBCUs is critical to the future of Black liberation. From freedom fighters to the finest scientific minds, many of the world's innovators have once called HBCUs home. Despite being fertile ground for emerging Black leaders, HBCUs still carry the burdens of slavery, discriminatory practices, and institutional racism. The 10 largest HBCU endowments total $2 billion, compared with $200 billion for the top 10 predominantly white institutions.

As we call for society to recognize that Black Lives Matter, we must require that they do the same for the venues that nurture and cultivate those lives as well.

A decade ago, I helped launch and support the HBCU Rising, an innovative, curriculum-based initiative that uses a group mentoring model to build bridges between middle school and HBCU students. I am proud to support programs like these that are working to fill the void of Black educators and researchers while exposing young people to the power of the HBCU community.

The shared experiences students have at HBCUs instill a sense of pride, while helping them better understand and navigate the world once they graduate. I distinctly recall my oldest son coming home for winter break his freshman year and telling me, “Mom, I finally feel safe. My professors show me they care. For the first time, I have teachers who see me. They call me, brother.”

Like my sons, both personally and professionally, my experiences within the HBCU community have changed my life. So, as I spend this time of connection and Homecoming, I hope you will join me in a recommitment to invest in and elevate the significance of our HBCUs – a true manifestation of our ancestors' wildest dreams.

In love and solidarity,

Cicley Gay
Board Chairwoman
Black Lives Matter Foundation

Black Lives Matter imagines a world where Black people across the diaspora thrive, experience joy, and are not defined by their struggles.

We are building a future where Black people are free, safe, and able to thrive beyond cages, control, and violence.

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