WASHINGTON (March 7, 2019) – Today, Howard University joined the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Caucus for the second annual HBCU STEAM Day of Action on Capitol Hill. The annual event brings together education and industry leaders and Members of Congress for a collective day of advocacy for our nation’s 102 HBCUs and their 300,000 students.

The coalition will meet with Republican and Democratic Members of Congress in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.  The Senate and House Appropriations Committees, House Energy and Commerce Committee, House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity & Inclusion, Congressional Black Caucus, House Education and Labor Committee, and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will host meetings with the group. More than 40 Members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will also meet with the coalition.

“Howard University is thrilled to be among a group of storied institutions participating in the second annual HBCU STEAM Day of Action,” says Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, Howard University President. “We commend Congresswoman Alma Adams for her leadership of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and look forward to continuing our collaborative work to secure greater resources for our students.”

“HBCUs contribute nearly $15 billion to our annual economy and have provided pathways of opportunity to millions of Americans, many of whom are first generation college students. Despite being historically underfunded and under-resourced, these institutions continue to produce top talent.  HBCUs produce 42% of Black engineers, 47% of Black women engineers, and 40% of the Congressional Black Caucus. I would not be in Congress today if not for the North Carolina A&T University,” said Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus.  “That is why HBCU STEAM Day is so important. It’s a day when HBCUs and their students to come to Capitol Hill and to advocate for greater resources – and they don’t come alone. They come with industry leaders who have made a commitment to creating strategic and sustainable partnerships with HBCUs.  There is no workplace diversity, especially within STEAM fields, without HBCUs. I am proud to host the second annual HBCU STEAM Day of Action and to make clear to all in Congress that HBCUs matter.”

“The importance of HBCUs on our nation’s history and future is something we can never fully measure. Through the STEAM Day of Action, we are bringing together stakeholders from across the country to highlight opportunities for our nation’s HBCUs and their students,” said Congressman Bradley Byrne, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus.

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities are an important part of our higher education system and provide unique opportunities to their students. As we work on updating the Higher Education Act this Congress, my goal is to make sure that all colleges and universities, including our nation’s HBCU’s, are worth students’ time and money,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

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