2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 142
BY SENATORS BOUDREAUX, ABRAHAM, ALLAIN, BARROW, BERNARD, BOUIE,
CARTER, CATHEY, CLOUD, CONNICK, CORTEZ, FESI, FIELDS,
FOIL, HARRIS, HENRY, HENSGENS, HEWITT, JACKSON,
LAMBERT, LUNEAU, MCMATH, MILLIGAN, FRED MILLS,
ROBERT MILLS, MIZELL, MORRIS, PEACOCK, POPE, PRICE,
REESE, SMITH, STINE, TALBOT, TARVER, WARD, WHITE AND
WOMACK
A RESOLUTION
To recognize Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCU) Day at the Capitol.
WHEREAS, Louisiana is proud to be home to eight Historically Black Colleges and
Universities: Dillard University, Grambling State University, Southern University and A&M
College, Southern University Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Southern
University Law Center, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University
Shreveport, and Xavier University of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana is also home to the nation's only HBCU System (Southern
University System) which is uniquely positioned as an exemplar of successful HBCU
policies and practices; and
WHEREAS, it would be remiss not to recognize the contributions to Louisiana's
HBCU prowess upon the retirement of two of its notable leaders; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Ray Belton will retire after serving as a chief executive officer for
more than twenty-one years, the first fourteen years as Chancellor of Southern University
Shreveport and then seven years as President-Chancellor of the System and Southern
University and A&M College, comprising thirty-five years of service to Southern
University; and
WHEREAS, over the course of the last four years at Southern University and A&M
College, both retention and graduation rates have grown, the enrollment of first-time
freshmen has increased by an average of 15%, and resources to support campus
enhancements have expanded by 220 percent; and
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WHEREAS, under Dr. Belton's leadership Southern University and A&M College
was recently designated as a Carnegie R2 institution with "high research activity", the
second-highest classification for American research universities; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Walter Kimbrough will retire May 31, 2022, as president of Dillard
University after ten years of service, having also led Philander Smith College as president
for nearly eight years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Kimbrough is known internationally as the legendary social media
"Hip Hop Prez" and recognized nationally for sharing his expertise on the value of HBCUs;
and
WHEREAS, Dillard's endowment now stands at $150 million, growing by more than
115% during Dr. Kimbrough's tenure, giving the 152-year-old institution one of the best-
funded endowments among HBCUs across the nation; and
WHEREAS, under Dr. Kimbrough's leadership Dillard's academic profile increased
with the introduction of its nursing school into the College of Nursing; and
WHEREAS, the university has also seen increases in its retention and graduation
rates since 2012; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana HBCUs collectively enrolled 21,168 students in 2020-2021;
and
WHEREAS, since their establishment 186 years ago, HBCUs have provided black
students with a powerful avenue, and for some, the only path to a college degree; and
WHEREAS, as Louisiana 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 provide a considerable economic impact on their
communities, states, and regions; and
WHEREAS, HBCUs enroll and successfully graduate greater numbers of
low-income, first-generation, and academically under prepared college students compared
with non-HBCUs; and
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WHEREAS, evidence demonstrates high levels of student-faculty engagement and
mentorship at HBCUs, leading to stronger student success; and
WHEREAS, HBCUs are credited with building the black middle class in America
with black graduates of HBCUs who 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 (compared
to 25% of 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 well for life outside of
college (55% vs 29%); and
WHEREAS, the pageantry, traditions, bands, and rivalries of HBCUs are second to
none; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs have distinguished themselves in numerous ways,
both nationally and in the state as follows:
Dillard University is one of the nation's leading producers of black physicists; and
Grambling 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 cyber
security and cloud computing; and
Southern University and A&M College (SUBR) is the leading producer of black
engineers in Louisiana whose graduates play significant, creative, and administrative roles
at NASA, Boeing, IBM, Entergy, and Dow Chemical, among other leading companies; and
Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) is the only HBCU in the state to
offer a forensic science program; and
Southern University Shreveport (SUSLA) is the only comprehensive two-year
community college in north Louisiana with an aerospace technology program; and
Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center is the first
HBCU to launch its own CBC and THC medical marijuana lines; and
Southern University Law Center (SULC) counts 104 of its alumni as judges
currently serving; and
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Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is nationally recognized for the number
of black graduates who go on to complete medical school according to the 2020 report of the
Medical School Association of American Medical Colleges, and with plans to open its own
medical school and graduate school of health sciences, it will be the fifth HBCU medical
school in the nation; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Louisiana's eight Historically Black
Colleges and Universities for their outstanding achievements and their numerous alumni for
their contributions to their local communities, the state, and the world.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby recognize Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as HBCU Day at the Capitol and does hereby
especially acknowledge Louisiana's HBCUs' invaluable contributions to our residents and
state.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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