Hi John, Cicley here!

It's officially HBCU Homecoming season! Say it with me - get geeked, get geeked, it's homecoming week!

With HBCU culture running deeply through my family, I'm excited to finally get a chance to share with you how influential this time of year has become in my life. Not only do 2 of my sons attend HBCUs (#HBCUMom), but both of my parents are proud Alumni as well.

I think a discussion about the magic of HBCU culture and community is long overdue.

Homecoming season represents a time when Black people come together to express joy, to fellowship with friends and family, and to remember that the universities and colleges we are dedicated to are not only sacred ground for an educational foundation but also a place to be the real majority.

Here are couple facts about HBCUs that you NEED know:

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 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 – 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
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
Executive Board | Chair