Tuesday’s presidential election is the most critical in our lifetime—with the potential to change the trajectory of the country. And the stakes couldn’t be higher for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which for generations have punched above their weight. They serve more economically disenfranchised students than most U.S. institutions, and they do so successfully, facilitating the upward mobility of the majority of their students.
Securing the future of HBCUs will require committed people across the country to ensure their voice is heard in the election. Each candidate speaks about HBCUs. The question is which of these nominees on the ballot will actually do more than speak about HBCUs? UNCF has the data to prove that HBCUs truly have more than earned the needed investment via their economic impact. 
Dr. Michael L. Lomax
UNCF’s new research report, Transforming Futures: The Economic Engines of HBCUs, offers empirical evidence of the profound impact HBCUs have on the success of students, communities and the nation as a whole. HBCUs are not only esteemed institutions of higher learning but also an unrivaled catalyst for social mobility and economic engines for their surrounding communities. A few of the report’s findings quantify and reinforce their impact:
HBCUs are collectively one of the country’s top employers: their 136,000-person workforce exceeds the number of employees at American Express, Exxon Mobile, Nike or Verizon. What’s more, 60 percent of the jobs HBCUs create are in the public and private sectors.
