Two national organizations that support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) have launched nonpartisan campaigns to get HBCU ...
Two national organizations that support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) have launched nonpartisan campaigns to get HBCU students out to the polls in a few weeks.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) have been working around the clock to mobilize voters in the upcoming presidential election. They say that issues like student debt relief are critical to this generation of students. 
On Sunday, Dr. Harry L. Williams, president of TMC,F appeared on CNN to discuss the organization’s voter advocacy campaign geared toward students attending HBCUs; the impact HBCUs have had on American history; and what students are saying about issues that interest them.
“It’s an honor to weigh in about this historic election on the national stage,” Williams said. “We encourage our students to participate in the election process and recognize the power of their voice and their vote.”
Williams emphasized the importance of TMCF leading the way in helping educate HBCU students about the voting process.
“HBCUs have played a critical role in helping this country move forward,” Williams said, adding that presidential candidate Kamala Harris is a graduate of Howard University. “Therefore, our responsibility at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund is to continue that legacy of pushing, educating and encouraging our students.”
Meanwhile, the UNCF campaign has included commercial ads running on digital and radio platforms in key battleground states with strong HBCU communities, including Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. UNCF’s voter mobilization campaign has the potential to reach over a million potential voters in an election that is expected to be decided by razor-thin margins.
This nonpartisan get-out-the-vote campaign aims to inspire people to vote, especially young Black voters, by ensuring communities understand that the future of HBCUs hangs in the balance of this election.
The organization is working with its member institutions—private HBCUs like Voorhees University in South Carolina.
“Voorhees is working with the administration, faculty, staff, students, and the community to do our part through registration, education, and getting out to vote during this critical period,” said Dwayne Smiling, special assistant to the president for government relations.
from Diverse: Issues In Higher Education https://ift.tt/thnKLSb
via IFTTT
COMMENTS