In a move that has been generating some buzz and attention in recent weeks, the White House is said to be preparing an executive order on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). While there has been no official word from the White House on when the order might be released and what policy directives it might contain, organizations that advocate for HBCUs in Washington, D.C., have laid out their own proposals for what the order could accomplish.
Johnny C. Taylor, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), is confident that the order will be released soon, although he did not have specifics on an exact date.
“We know it’s going to happen, and we know it’s going to happen soon,” he told Diverse on Friday.
HBCU leaders are planning a meeting at the White House on February 27, he said.
Taylor said he wanted to see the order establish the White House Initiative on HBCUs in the White House, as opposed to the U.S. Department of Education, where it is currently housed.
The move would help put the weight of the executive branch behind HBCUs, he said.
“There’s no replacement for having the White House and the president stand behind something,” he added. In addition, Taylor said that the order could contain an “aspirational goal” that would increase grant and contract funding to HBCUs.
