2007 Conference Highlights | NAFEO | National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

Thank you

On behalf of the officers and directors of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and Dr. Melvin Johnson, president of Tennessee State University, Dr. George French, president of Miles College, and Dr. Elaine Johnson Copeland, president of Clinton Junior College, respectively the Chair and Co-Chairs of NAFEO’s 32nd National Conference on Blacks in Higher Education – "America’s Black Colleges and Universities: Expanding Access, Ensuring Success, Promoting Global Competitiveness," I thank you if you chose to join us at this year’s convening. If you did not, I regret that you did not join us, and I hope that you will plan to attend next year’s National Conference.

At this year’s convening from March 14-17, 2007, we engaged a diverse array of stakeholders in dialogues about critical issues of importance to blacks in higher education and the future direction of higher education excellence, equity and access in America. We also heightened the awareness of federal legislators, key education reporters and others about the past, present, and promise of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). More than seventy (70) of the nation’s historically and predominantly black colleges and universities participated in the deliberations, in excess of forty (40) of our colleague presidents participated at some point during the convening, in excess of two hundred fifty (250) other HBCU administrators and faculty, one hundred and fifty (150) HBCU students, more than one hundred (100) identified alumni, thirty (30) members of Congress including those in key leadership positions, state policy makers, policy shapers, government, foundation, association, and corporate program officers.

We met in the wake of the convening of a new Congress, with new leadership, and at the dawning of the 2008 presidental campaign season, offering new opportunities for the HBCU and PBI communities, its friends and supporters to assist policymakers, policy shapers, presidential candidates and executives, in shaping and advancing an education excellence and equity agenda.

We convened at a time of great promise in which the United States Congress is more reflective of the richness of the diversity of our Nation with the first female Speaker and the first African American Clerk of the United States House of Representatives; forty-three (43) members of the Congressional Black Caucus from twenty-one (21) states, twenty (20) of whom are alumni of NAFEO institutions, five (5) are chairs of congressional committees, seventeen (17) are subcommittee Chairs, and twelve (12) are female; seventy-one (71) members of Congress have HBCUs or PBIs in their districts.

We also convened at a time of untold pain, when the median income for non-elderly households fell more than $2,500 from 2000 to 2004 as the costs of medical care, housing, and food increased by double digits and gasoline, fuel, and oil prices rose 43.7% over the same period. As we convened, 7 out of 10 middle Americans were living paycheck to paycheck, and the majority of voters reported expecting their children to be worse off financially than they are. When we assembled, more women were expected to file bankruptcy annually, than graduate from college. Although economic and social freedom are increasingly linked to a postsecondary education, there was evidence that many HBCUs were thriving, while others were withering away because states continued to invest proportionately more in flagship institutions.

With the promise, the pain and possibilities of the day, and the collective power of those of who assembled and those who the delegates represent, we seized the convening in the nation’s capital to let our united voices be heard in support of federal priorities and policies that foster education excellence and equity and strengthen HBCUs and PBIs, the nation’s quintessential equal educational opportunity institutions.

The conference highlights, outcomes and photographs will be published on our website soon.

Among the action items that came from the conference were for NAFEO to petition Congress for the following:

To hold federal oversight hearings of Office of Civil Rights to determine its effectiveness at monitoring and reporting on efforts to achieve parity among public HBCUs and HWCUs;
To establish a National Center on Blacks in Higher Education at NAFEO with a $2-million endowed chair at each of the nation’s accredited HBCU law schools to permit leading civil rights and constitutional lawyers and researchers to gather and publish current data on the status of public HBCUs;
To seek congressional clarification of its intent that there be a private right of action under Title VI;
To request that the Agriculture committees of the House and Senate conduct hearings to learn from the HBCU community the present barriers to comparability and compatibility among 1890s land-grant institutions and 1862 land-grant institutions; and
To support H.R. 1469 and S. 991, which seek to establish federally funded study abroad fellowships for students from diverse backgrounds.

In addition to the above policy recommendations, there were consensus action items from the Saving Our Sons Town Hall Meeting and the Health and Wellness colloquium:

NAFEO, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and the Phelps Stokes Fund will work collaboratively to catalogue existing research and conduct additional research as needed to pilot test "college high school" residential academies on or around HBCU and PBI campuses targeting African American males;
NAFEO, United Healthgroup, and other health and wellness partners advance the establishment of centers of excellence in nursing on ten (10) HBCUs campuses; and the positioning of HBCUs as centers to help the nation reduce the national and critical shortage of nurses.

We had extremely thoughtful, substantive dialogues for the two- and one half days of the 32nd National Conference on Blacks in Higher Education. The 400 or so delegates who met with the congressional leadership and members of Congress had a significant impact, especially the 150 student representatives from our campuses. We hope to increase our numbers and our impact next year. With your participation, we will.

I look forward to working with you as we implement the conference recommendations and work to build the capacity of America’s black colleges and universities.

Warm regards,
Lezli Baskerville
President & CEO

2007 © | NAFEO | National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education - If You can Dream it, You can Achieve it at an HBCU.

Thank you

Conference Sponsors