During his two terms in office, President Barack Obama has invested over $4 billion in historically black colleges and universities. This year alone, he maximized his support by signing a proclamation declaring October 23rd – 29th National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. Now that President Obama is leaving, what does this mean for the fate of the HBCU initiative?

Will president-elect Donald Trump make HBCUs a priority when he takes the oath of office? What are his views on HBCUs? Trump's intentions in this area have yet to be solidified but there have been talks between his advisors and HBCU officials.

HBCUs are in a tight space and need the support of this new administration, not just financially but also through policy. The UNCF recently released a report showing in detail the student loan burden HBCU students carry based on a number of factors which should be directly addressed by the incoming presidential administration and Congress. There are currently 107 HBCUs and we only know of one person on his team that attended two of them; Omarosa Manigault.

Manigault represented Trump at the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education annual Presidents and Chancellors Brunch Briefing (NAFE) earlier this month in Atlanta. Lezli Baskerville, president and CEO of NAFEO, told The Washing Post that Manigault was "thoughtful and eager to engage" with a "long and deep connection" to the schools.

A good sign for HBCUs if the president-elect carries the same sentiments.

Manigault isn't the only one engaged on behalf of Trump with HBCUs. The national co-chair and policy director for Trump's campaign, Sam Clovis, met with the president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to discuss HBCUs as well. TMCF has served as an advocate to HBCUs and provided assistance and resources for HBCU students. The discussion between key advisors on Trump's team and TMCF provide a glimmer of hope that efforts will continue when Trump takes office.

Loving Blavity’s content? Sign up for our newsletter!

sam clovis

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week