ICYMI: Sanders Kicks Off HBCU Organizing Program With Huge Morehouse College Rally, New Policy to Fund HBCUs

WASHINGTON – Last week, Bernie Sanders released the most substantive plan to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions.

While most other candidates stop short by  proposing  funds with no plan, Bernie’s multi-billion dollar plan includes making all private and public HBCUs tuition-free, an Executive Order to eradicate systemic racism impairing HBCUs, the cancelation of burdening public loan debt held by HBCUs, and targeted funding to address disparities in health care, education, and agriculture affecting Black people and other marginalized communities. Additionally, Bernie’s plan will increase enrollment at HBCUs, the most crucial problem impacting most of these schools.

Black students who are exposed to at least two Black teachers by third grade are 32 percent more likely to enroll in college, but only 7% of teachers are African American compared to 15 percent of public school students. To close the gap, Sanders will  dedicate $5 billion to expand HBCU and MSI teaching programs and an additional $5 billion to recruit, train, and retain Black K-12 teachers. Bernie’s plan also ensures teachers will be justly compensated with a minimum $60,000 per year salary.

Bernie’s plan will provide $5 billion to expand HBCU and MSI medical training programs, offer $1 billion for agricultural science programs at HBCU land-grant institutions, give $5 billion in HBCU infrastructure grants, and double Title III and Title V funding– the primary sources of current federal grants to HBCUs and MSIs. Sanders also sets aside billions of dollars in Green New Deal research funds for HBCUs and MSIs to make sure communities of color, who are most predisposed to the effects of climate change, are guaranteed a role in an expansive plan to transform our country’s energy system and create 20 million new jobs.