#TalkRadio – January 14: The Changing Role of HBCUs in 2025

SPEAKERS:

Jonnita Dockens: 12:05 PM – 12:10 PM Eastern Time
Jonnita Dockens is a business consultant from Chicago, Illinois.  She is deemed “Your Business Friend” because she is passionate about helping small businesses grow.  Jonnita joined the TJC family in 2016 as the Event Planner for the Millennial Votes Matter Convening.   She is a dedicated and dynamic leader with a passion for empowering youth and young adults to reach their full potential.  In 2023, she joined the TJC team as Executive Assistant and is instrumental in the organization of the GenZ & Young Millennial Votes Matter Leadership Training.

Dr. Rasheed Atwater: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
Rasheed J. Atwater  is a TJC Alumni from September 2016 class. Rasheed J. Atwater is an Assistant Professor of New Social Justice Movements in the Department of African American and Diaspora Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana. He is a husband, father, son, and brother from Saginaw, MI. His research specialties include the Afrocentric Paradigm,  African American Family Studies, The Black Radical Tradition, African American Manhood, African American Environmental Philosophy, and the praxis of Ma’at.
Social:  Facebook – Rasheed Atwater

Trinity Woodson: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
Trinity Woodson is a TJC Alumni from the September 2022 class. In 2023, Trinity Woodson was honored as one of the HBCU Graduate Scholars selected by the White House! Trinity received her undergraduate degree from Hampton University with a concentration on Political Science. Her postgraduate education was completed at Fisk University, where she concentrated on social justice.She has been certified by the Virginia Department of Elections as a coordinator for third-party voter registration efforts.  At present, Trinity serves as the Civic Engagement Liaison for HBCUs at the Center for Common Ground.
Social:  Instagram  – @http.trinityelise,  LinkedIn – Trinity Woodson, M.A.

Savion Briggs: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Savion Briggs  is a TJC Alumni from April 2024 class. Savion Briggs is an HBCU Scholar at Kentucky State University.  He has dedicated himself to advancing equity and civic engagement through leadership and service.  He is very active  in his college community working with the Student Government Association and being a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.   Additionally, he recently received the AT & T Rising Future Maker Awards.
Social:  Instagram – @savionbriggs  Twitter – @savionbriggs

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “The Changing Role of HBCUs in 2025”, will be live with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. and special guests Dr. Rasheed Atwater; Trinity Woodson; Jonnita Dockens; and, Savion Briggs.

In June 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled to bar the use of race as a factor in college admissions. This decision significantly impacted the landscape of higher education, particularly for minority students. According to Lexi Lonas from The Hill, many Black students felt uncertain about their chances at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and began to seek out HBCUs as a safer and more welcoming alternative [ 1 ].

Following the SCOTUS ruling, HBCUs experienced a notable surge in enrollment. Bruce C.T. Wright from NewsOne reported that while enrollment at many top-ranked PWIs saw a decline in Black student numbers, HBCUs saw a record number of applications and enrollments [ 2 ]. For instance, Jackson State University welcomed nearly 1,250 incoming freshmen and transfer students for the Fall 2024 semester [2]. Similarly, Hampton University noted a significant increase in applications, attributing this surge to the Supreme Court decision [ 2 ].

In response to the increased interest and enrollment, HBCUs have also seen a rise in grants and funding. These institutions have received various grants aimed at supporting their growth and enhancing educational opportunities for their students. Specific details on the grants received by HBCUs in 2025 are not readily available, but the trend indicates a positive trajectory in funding support.

Sources:

1. Lonas, Lexi. “HBCUs Become Safe Haven for Students Uncertain of Higher Ed Path after Affirmative Action Ruling.” The Hill, 14 Feb. 2024, https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4465905-hbcus-affirmative-action-supreme-court-ruling-diversity/. .

2. Wright, Bruce C.T. “HBCU Enrollment Update: Surge Follows Affirmative Action End.” NewsOne, 4 Sept. 2024, https://newsone.com/5524573/hbcu-enrollment-update/ .

The article “When Mississippi Considered Closing Universities, HBCU Grads Mobilized to Protect Their Alma Maters” from Reckon Media discusses the efforts of HBCU graduates to protect their institutions from potential closures. In 2024, Mississippi proposed legislation to close three of its eight public universities, including HBCUs, by 2028. This proposal faced significant opposition from alumni and supporters who mobilized to protect their alma maters.

The article highlights a letter from the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Agriculture to governors, emphasizing the importance of funding for HBCUs. “In September 2023, the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture sent letters to 16 governors in states with land-grant HBCUs calculating a $12 billion disparity in funding from 1987 to 2020. Miss. Gov. Tate Reeves was on the list… Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, outlined in each letter that under the Second Morrill Act of 1890, states opening land-grant universities serving Black students are required to provide an equitable distribution of state funds to institutions founded between 1862 and 1890. However, of 18 states with HBCUs only two — Delaware and Ohio — are upholding the law.”

This quote underscores the federal government’s concern about the lack of compliance with funding laws for HBCUs and the need for states to support these vital institutions.

The mobilization efforts by HBCU graduates and supporters were crucial in raising awareness and pushing back against the proposed legislation, ultimately helping to protect the future of these historically significant universities.

Read more: Reckon Media. ‘When Mississippi Considered Closing Universities, HBCU Grads Mobilized to Protect Their Alma Maters.’ Reckon News, 8 Mar. 2024, www.reckon.news/justice/2024/03/when-mississippi-considered-closing-universities-hbcu-grads-mobilized-to-protect-their-alma-maters.html.

The article from The Atlanta Voice discusses the funding challenges faced by Tennessee State University (TSU), a historically Black college and university (HBCU). It highlights the ongoing struggle for adequate funding and the impact of these financial constraints on the institution’s ability to provide quality education and resources to its students. The article also emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in supporting HBCUs like TSU. Quoting from the article:

“What’s more, these are the same ones who are seeking to leverage their control over public education to attack diversity on all state college campuses in their states. Ten states — including Tennessee — have enacted 12 laws that ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies on college campuses.

“Many of those states’ governors are also using their power to appoint as state university trustees MAGA loyalists who share their disdain for DEI. Take one of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent appointees, who in a co-authored essay described ‘DEI ideology’ as being ‘inherently hostile to the mission of a university.’

“Or another, who has called for ‘all DEI initiatives [to] be eliminated from higher education.’ By underfunding public HBCUs and denying the value of Black students on non-HBCU campuses, these extremists are making very clear the kinds of students they do and don’t want to succeed.

“They also are the same ones waging war on the teaching of our nation’s full history. But if we studied that history they seek to quash, we would know that the news out of Tennessee is just the latest example of conservatives rejecting the notion that Black people possess the capacity for self-governance.”

It notes that DEI efforts are crucial in ensuring that HBCUs receive the necessary funding and support to thrive and continue their mission of educating Black students.

The article quotes various stakeholders, including university officials and policymakers, who stress the need for increased funding and support for HBCUs. It also discusses the broader implications of underfunding HBCUs, including the potential negative impact on the educational and economic opportunities available to Black students

Read more: “The Atlanta Voice. Opinion: Something’s rotten, and not just in the state of Tennessee”.’ The Atlanta Voice, 8 Mar. 2024, www.theatlantavoice.com/hbcu-funding-tennessee-state

“Black students are thriving at HBCUs, and a recent study proves it. According to a report by Brown University, Black students are 40% more likely to earn their bachelor’s degrees at HBCUs than Black students at other schools. A 2024 White House fact sheet further notes that HBCUs are responsible for producing a large percentage of all Black professionals in engineering (40%), teaching (50%), medicine (70%), and judicial careers (80%).” ( Read more and view source: https://www.parents.com/black-students-more-likely-to-graduate-at-hbcus-8678200 )

This has been the same trend we’ve see since 2017 where “a study by The Education Trust, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, revealed that the nation’s HBCUs are doing a much better job than predominantly white schools in graduating low-income black students. The study, entitled ‘A Look at Black Student Success,’ concluded that at most of the nation’s four-year public and private colleges and universities, a significant gap exists between the graduation rates of black students and white students. At the 676 public and private nonprofit institutions included in The Education Trust survey (not including HBCUs), the six-year graduation rate for black students was 45.4 percent — 19.3 points lower than the 64.7 percent graduation rate for white students.” (Read more and view the source: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/03/01/517770255/hbcus-graduate-more-poor-black-students-than-white-colleges )

Our guests have been intimately involved in many of these fights and will offer not only their perspectives but also their best recommendations of how people can unite to win in 2025 and 2026.

This show will be one of many in which we will highlight TJC’s affirmative agenda for 2025 and 2026.

​

QUESTIONS:

• [This show will begin by encouraging people to: go to VotingRightsAlliance.org/2025Pledge to sign onto our 2025 Voting Rights Pledge; boycott the establishments like Walmart and McDonald’s which have egregiously ended their DEI commitments, promises, funds, and programs and support companies like Coscto and Apple who have kept them when facing the same pressure in the wake of the election of Donald Trump; and, watch the Netflix Movie “The Six Triple Eight”]

  • Jonnita, What did you think was the most remarkable part of “The Six Triple Eight” movie on Netflix?
  • Why do you recommend people should watch this movie?
  • What is the most important lesson for Black women contained in this movie?
  • Jonnita, Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?
  • Why did you choose to go to a HBCU?
  • What have been some of the highlights of your experience at your HBCU?
  • According to articles published, there are many unique aspects of HBCU’s. What are some of the top strengths of HBCU’s?
  • After the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action decision in 2023, there has been a  tremendous uptick in applications to HBCU’s. How has this trendline affected your school?
  • Under the Biden Administration, “In September 2023, the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture sent letters to 16 governors in states with land-grant HBCUs calculating a $12 billion disparity in funding from 1987 to 2020. Miss. Gov. Tate Reeves was on the list… Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, outlined in each letter that under the Second Morrill Act of 1890, states opening land-grant universities serving Black students are required to provide an equitable distribution of state funds to institutions founded between 1862 and 1890. However, of 18 states with HBCUs only two — Delaware and Ohio — are upholding the law.” Instead of correcting this injustice, the states instead have been trying to propose the abolition of these colleges or a takeover of their governance. HBCU alumni have been very active in defending their alma maters. What do you think can be done to strengthen public support for HBCU’s?
  • Notably, students at HBCUs have been major voting rights activists, why do you think voting rights are so important to your peers?
  • What are your future hopes for your HBCU and all HBCUs in general?
  • As we look at the many issues that are confronting us in 2025, what for you are your top three priorities that you hope our listeners will be paying attention to and will be willing to take action to help protect our democracy, fellow citizens, and the Constitution?
  • [What’s your number one action that you would recommend that our listeners do to be involved in 2025?
  • What are your favorite resources that you recommend that people utilize during this time?
  • Where do people go to get the best information?
  • What activities are planned in 2025 that you hope our listeners will be engaged in?]
  • What are your one-minute final thoughts to our listeners?

  Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

  [TJC will continue to vigorously defend the rights of all Americans and will fight the implementation of Project 2025 and our future shows will continue to cover any hate crimes and how we effectively protect ourselves while advancing our agenda for justice.]

  [Daryl and Barbara may share their favorite books and encourage people to donate towards TJC’s giveaways of banned and affirming books.]