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Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, sometimes we don't all agree on things here in this Chamber, but I think we can all agree that a quality education has the power to uplift and transform someone's life. It is the key to freedom and the key to opportunity.
I know this because I have seen it firsthand. I have coached and mentored hundreds of student athletes over my 40-year career. I witnessed the difference an education can make in the outcome of someone's life, how it truly creates a pathway to success.
In fact, that is one of the reasons I was inspired to be an advocate for better educational opportunities for all Americans--because investing in our children's education is investing in our country. It is like putting a downpayment on our country's future success by creating opportunity.
I have recruited hundreds and hundreds of students from across our country. I have been in their homes. I have seen how they live, and I have seen how they have grown up. Unfortunately, for many children from difficult backgrounds, a large percent coming from one- or no-parent homes, real opportunities can be hard to come by--very hard.
Regardless of what town that they lived in or what their family was like, I wanted my athletes to know that education can open many, many doors. Most of them understood and appreciated. As I have said many times before, the only thing that this country owes you as a citizen is an opportunity, and I still believe that is true.
There is a lot that goes into making the decision to go to college. Students often think first about the cost, or they could be the first in their families to attend college. My parents didn't attend college. One worked in manufacturing. The other worked on a line. They were very supportive of my decision, but I still had to figure out a lot on my own, and it is a huge decision.
But there is always the question: Is this the right place for me? Will this school provide me with a path forward for success and a productive future?
Many students across the country have turned to historically Black colleges and universities, better known as HBCUs, to answer these questions because of the pathway HBCUs provide. While they are respected for their strong traditions, HBCUs are the ultimate opportunity creators for students all across this country. Serving nearly 300,000 students annually in 21 States and territories, HBCUs have made tuition costs more affordable, costing 30 percent less, on average, than other higher education institutions. And because of that, 60 percent of the HBCU attendees are low-income, first-generation college students. HBCUs not only knock down barriers, but they build upon the inherent potential of their attendees.
I am proud that the great State of Alabama is home to 13 HBCUs, the most of any State in the Nation. These colleges are major contributors to communities across our State, producing more than 15,000 jobs annually for our local economies. And they also prepare students for the 21st-century job market.
Let me tell you a bit about some of the great things that HBCUs in my State have accomplished. Among their many contributions, Alabama HBCUs have helped to fill the continuing need for more African Americans in STEM--or science, technology, engineering, and math--professions. For companies desperate to recruit top talent for entry-level STEM roles, HBCUs offer thousands of highly qualified candidates.
As part of this effort, Alabama State University offers the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program. This program focuses on giving undergrad STEM students a chance at hands-on research and professional development opportunities. In fact, Alabama State University just announced a new partnership with Apple where it will become a center for coding and creativity.
In Montgomery, Trenholm State offers free STEM courses for dual enrollment students to allow high school students to get a jump start on their college careers.
But it is also important to recognize that HBCUs support low-income, first-generation college students in meeting and exceeding their postsecondary educational goals.
Alabama A&M University recently announced its new master's apprenticeship program for social work--the first of its kind by any HBCU in the country. This investment in our students and communities will help to ensure that we will have more social workers to meet the needs of the underserved that are in our population.
Tuskegee University, home of the renowned scientist George Washington Carver and the Tuskegee Airmen, leads the country in African-American aerospace science engineer graduates--leads the country.
Oakwood University in Huntsville is one of the top universities sending minority undergraduate students to medical schools.
And, just this year, the achievements of two Stillman College students and two Talladega College students were recognized by the White House as part of the prestigious HBCU Scholars Program.
Traditional 4-year degrees aren't suited for everyone. I noticed that in my years of coaching. Everybody does not need to go to a 4-year university. And Alabama HBCUs have a strong tradition of empowering students through the vocational and technical programs that they offer.
In as little as 6 months, a student at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham can launch a career--just in 6 months. Their vocational programming provides low-cost and fast-tracked avenues for students to gain subject-matter expertise in industries like HVAC work and building construction.
Meanwhile, Gadsden State Community College is working to make a new Advanced Manufacturing Center part of its future to help prepare students for the roles that the manufacturing industry will be filling in the coming years.
Finally, we have repeatedly seen that when Alabama HBCUs collaborate with local businesses and government agencies, communities thrive, innovation occurs, and progress is made.
Shelton State's Fire College is responsible for training paid and volunteer firefighters and EMTs.
Bishop State Community College just partnered with Alabama Power to offer a 9-week electric line worker training program--only 9 weeks. The graduates of this new program will be the power restoration experts that people rely on in times of need, such as a hurricane, which we have just gone through several in the last few months in the South.
Drake State created a satellite tracking station in partnership with NASA and an amateur radio station that serves as FEMA's relay station during local weather watch activities.
And throughout its history, Miles College has had a strong relationship with the surrounding community, promoting racial equality for African Americans. During the civil rights era, President Lucius Pitts helped to negotiate race relations and supported his students' desires to participate in nonviolent protests.
Overcoming decades of adversity and opposition, HBCUs continue to be competitive educational institutions with programs for students who want higher education, career-tech training, or to position themselves for better employment opportunities. We need to honor accomplishments by the HBCUs and celebrate their significant contributions to our society.
Over the last decade, my colleague Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina has been focused on doing just that. I am thankful to have joined him the last month to introduce a resolution to formally designate the week of September 6 as National HBCU Week. Because of their work and the work of their leaders, these institutions are deserving of national recognition.
Last week, during National HBCU Week, there were many tributes about the work of these great colleges and universities, about the impact they have made in the lives of so many people across this country and the impact they have made on many, many lives.
While this week was a chance to recognize the many ways HBCUs contribute to our society, our recognition shouldn't stop at one week. We should honor their work by continuing the conversation for how we can support these institutions for years and years to come.
HBCUs have given a gift--a gift of education and an opportunity--to so many in Alabama and across our Nation. I hope my colleagues join me and Senator Scott in recognizing their tremendous, tremendous impact on a lot of young lives of people all across our country.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I, along with Senator Moran and Senator Murray, be permitted to complete our remarks before the scheduled rollcall vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 158
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