President Donald Trump signed a new executive order last month establishing the administration’s initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), expanding federal efforts “to elevate the value and impact of our nation’s HBCUs as beacons of educational excellence and economic opportunity.”
In light of seemingly critical treatment from the Trump administration towards several private universities such as Harvard and Columbia universities, some students find the timing of the order, signed on April 23, surprising.
According to the White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the order builds upon his previous administration’s work.
The Executive Order
The order declares that HBCUs are instrumental in “advancing America’s full potential” and providing high-quality education that fuels innovation and global leadership.
The initiative will be housed in the White House and overseen by a presidentially appointed executive director.
The office will work with federal agencies, private-sector leaders, philanthropic foundations, and academic associations to increase HBCUs’ capacity to serve students.
Amir Shackelford, a senior theatre arts administration major from Cincinnati, Ohio expressed skepticism, suggesting the initiative appears slightly superficial.
“I am cautious because it just seems like he’s trying to be like a white savior. Kind of just swooping in to make it better or I feel like it’s almost a plan that’s going to backfire in our face,” he said.
Shackelford believes the administration has a history of providing temporary fixes rather than addressing the root issues.
“I feel like it’s a band-aid. We’re putting band-aids over bullet holes. It’s not cleaning up the wound,” he said.
The Main Focus
On the White House website, the initiative declares two primary missions: “Boosting Institutional Capacity and Private-Sector Engagement” and “Expanding Educational Impact and Policy Influence.”
Boosting institutional capacity and private-sector engagement involves attracting investment from private foundations and businesses to support financial planning, infrastructure modernization, and fiscal health.
Additionally, it includes providing access to professional development programs in fields such as technology, healthcare, and finance to align with workforce demands.
The goal of expanding educational impact and policy influence includes “ Supporting implementation of the HBCU PARTNERS Act,” improving interagency coordination, and securing access to federal research and development funding.
It also involves “efforts to promote student success” across HBCU campuses related to “college affordability and degree attainment,” as well as strengthening pipelines from K-12 to college.
The initiative aims to forge stronger partnerships between HBCUs and state governments, particularly to ensure 1890 Land-Grant Institutions receive full matching funds required by law.
Annual White House Summit and Advisory Board
The White House will host an annual Summit on HBCUs “to address matters related to the Initiative’s missions and functions.”
Additionally, the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, housed within the Department of Education (DOE), will provide counsel on strategic priorities.
The board will include representatives from philanthropy, education, business, finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, private foundations and current HBCU presidents.
“The Board shall advise the President, through the Initiative, on the matters set forth in section 5(c) of the HBCU PARTNERS Act (20 U.S.C. 1063e(c),” according to the website.
Prior Order and Advisory Council
This new order formally revokes Executive Order 14041 issued by former President Joseph Biden in 2021.
It also directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to disband its HBCU and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Advisory Council within two weeks.
The revoked order implemented by the Biden administration was established to expand economic and educational opportunities for black Americans by strengthening the capacity of HBCUs, according to the Federal Register.
The initiative provided advice to the president about ways to eliminate barriers that HBCUs face in offering the highest quality education possible.
This includes allowing HBCUs easier access to federal funding and programs in research and development.
The HBCU and MSI Advisory Council was established in 2023.
The committee was implemented to provide advice and recommendations to assist the EPA in increasing outreach to minority communities through building a stronger partnership between HBCUs and MSIs.
In an on-the-phone interview with New Nation on April 30, Trump claimed that he “saved HBCUs from going out of business, and should not be concerned about federal funding cuts
.
While Trump claimed he “took care” of HBCUs he didn’t expand on how much money he sent to HBCUs during his first presidential term.
Howard University’s Office of Communications (OUC) released a statement on April 24 responding to the administration’s new initiative.
“The full and focused implementation of the President’s executive order will build on this
legacy by ensuring that HBCUs are equipped to thrive in the 21st century.”
The office released the statement a day after the executive order was signed, stressing that the order’s focus on institutional support, research expansion, student success, and economic mobility has the potential to empower HBCUs to develop future leaders.
“This Executive Order affirms the vital and visionary necessity of our work. We look forward to
working with the Administration and public, private, and academic sector partners to
realize the full potential of this order.”
Copy edited by Aniyah Genama
