COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tuesday at the state house the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus hosted their third annual HBCU Day. The event served as an effort to recognize and celebrate the eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the state.
“This is a reminder that HBCUs are still strong, HBCUs are still relevant, and HBCUs are still producing Black excellence,” Senator Deon Tedder said.
As part of the celebration, students had the chance to talk with state leaders about their experiences and challenges they face on campus.
“I hope they see that we’re here to make a change. we’re here to make a difference. We’re confident about the roles that we hold and the power and the value that we know that we hold and we’re here to make a change,” Morgan Miles, student at Benedict College said.
Other students shared the importance of gathering at the state house.
“We don’t get much opportunities like this where we’re able to come together and voice our opinion and voice what’s on our mind,” Derry Auguste, student at Morris College said.
State leaders say HBCUs are often overlooked including when it comes to funding.
“We’re hoping that South Carolina will do better. Some of our historically black colleges and universities have challenges, they have challenges housing, they have challenges with the facilities. We’re just going to continue the effort and we’re going to continue to share what is going on on those campuses so hopefully we can continue to increase the funding so that those students will have the same types of facility as if they were going to other colleges and universities within the state,” State Representative Annie McDaniel said.
Lawmakers and students hope days like today will serve as a reminder of the importance of HBCUs.
“HBCUs today remain a safe place for students to delve further into their cultural heritage and excel academically without fear of discrimination. HBCUs are as important today as when they were created,” Tedder said.