ENROLLED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 147
BY REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES
A RESOLUTION
To recognize Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as Historically Black Colleges and Universities Day
at the state capitol.
WHEREAS, Louisiana is proud to be home to eight Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs): Dillard University, Grambling State University, Southern University
and A&M College, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center,
Southern University Law Center, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University
at Shreveport, and Xavier University; and
WHEREAS, the fact that Louisiana is home to the nation's only HBCU system, the
Southern University System, uniquely positions the state as an exemplar of successful
HBCU policy and practice; and
WHEREAS, it would be remiss not to recognize the contributions to Louisiana's
HBCUs made by two notable leaders, both of whom are on the verge of retirement; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ray Belton will retire after giving more than thirty-five years of
service to Southern University, including service as chancellor of Southern University at
Shreveport for fourteen years and as president-chancellor of the Southern University System
and Southern University and A&M College for seven years; and
WHEREAS, over the course of the last four years, and under the tenure of
Dr. Belton, both retention and graduation rates have grown at Southern University and A&M
College, and the enrollment of first-time freshman has increased by an average of 15% per
year, while resources to support campus enhancements have expanded by 220%; and
WHEREAS, under Dr. Belton's leadership, Southern University and A&M College
was recently designated as a Carnegie R2 institution "with high research activity", which is
the second-highest classification for American research universities; and
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WHEREAS, similarly, Dr. Walter Kimbrough will retire on May 31 as president of
Dillard University after ten years of service at the school; Dr. Kimbrough also led Philander
Smith College as president for nearly eight years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Kimbrough is known internationally on social media as the
legendary "hip hop prez", where he uses his expertise to expound on the value of HBCUs;
and
WHEREAS, Dillard University's endowment now stands at $105 million, having
grown by more than 115% during Dr. Kimbrough's tenure, thus making the 152-year old
institution one of the best-funded HBCU endowments in the nation; and
WHEREAS, under Dr. Kimbrough's leadership, Dillard University's academic profile
has increased with the introduction of two signature programs, physics and film studies, as
well as the restructuring of its nursing school into the college of nursing; and
WHEREAS, during Dr. Kimbrough's tenure, Dillard University has also seen
increases in its retention and graduation rates; and
WHEREAS, in 2020-2021, Louisiana HBCU's collectively enrolled 21,168 students;
and
WHEREAS, since their establishment 186 years ago, HBCUs have provided Black
students with a powerful avenue, and for some, the only available path to a college degree;
and
WHEREAS, as Louisiana has grappled with both the global COVID-19 pandemic
and historic national civil unrest, HBCUs have proven to be invaluable assets based on their
history, student experiences, and societal contributions; and
WHEREAS, higher education universally provides wide-ranging benefits to students,
including higher average lifetime wages, better career opportunities, increased job security
and satisfaction, and better health, and exerts a considerable economic impact on
communities, the state, and the region; and
WHEREAS, HBCUs enroll and successfully graduate greater numbers of low-
income, first-generation, and academically underprepared college students compared with
non-HBCUs; and
WHEREAS, evidence demonstrates that high levels of student-faculty engagement
and mentorship at HBCUs lead to stronger student success; and
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WHEREAS, HBCUs are credited with building the Black middle class in America,
and Black graduates of HBCUs are significantly more likely to be better off financially and
socially; and
WHEREAS, research has found that, on average, 58% of Black HBCU graduates
strongly agree that professors at their university cared about them as individuals, as
compared to 25% for Black non-HBCU graduates; and
WHEREAS, Black HBCU graduates are nearly twice as likely as Black graduates
of non-HBCUs to strongly agree that their university prepared them for life outside of
college; and
WHEREAS, the pageantry, traditions, bands, and collegiate rivalries of HBCUs are
second to none; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs have distinguished themselves nationally and in the
state of Louisiana in numerous ways such as:
(1) Dillard University is one of the nation's leading producers of Black physicists.
(2) Grambling State University is the leading producer of computer science
graduates in the state of Louisiana and the only institution to offer bachelor's degree
programs in cybersecurity and cloud computing.
(3) Southern University in Baton Rouge is a leading producer of Black engineers in
Louisiana, and its graduates play significant roles at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, Boeing, International Business Machines, Entergy, and Dow Chemical,
among other leading companies; and
(4) Southern University at New Orleans is the only HBCU to offer a forensic science
program.
(5) Southern University at Shreveport is the only two-year community college in
North Louisiana with an aerospace technology program.
(6) Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center is the first
HBCU to launch its own CBC and THC medical marijuana lines.
(7) Southern University Law Center counts among its alumni 104 attorneys who are
currently serving as judges.
(8) Xavier University has been nationally recognized by the Association of
American Medical Colleges for the number of Black graduates that go on to successfully
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complete medical school and currently plans to open its own medical school and graduate
school of health sciences, all of which would make Xavier the fifth Black medical school in
the nation; and
WHEREAS, its is appropriate for the House of Representatives of the Legislature of
Louisiana to commend the state's eight HBCUs for their outstanding contributions to local
communities, the state, and the world.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Day at the state capitol and does hereby acknowledge the
invaluable contributions these institutions have made to the state of Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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