HLS 23RS-1122 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 32
BY REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: Recognizes April 18, 2023, as Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Day at the state capitol
1 A RESOLUTION
2To recognize Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as Historically Black Colleges and Universities
3 (HBCU) Day at the state capitol.
4 WHEREAS, Louisiana is proud to be home to eight Historically Black Colleges and
5Universities: Dillard University, Grambling State University, Southern University and A&M
6College, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Southern
7University Law Center, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University
8Shreveport, and Xavier University of Louisiana; and
9 WHEREAS, Louisiana is also home to the nation's only HBCU System, the Southern
10University System, which is uniquely positioned as an exemplar with a profound
11commitment to research and student success; and
12 WHEREAS, the House of Representatives would be remiss if it did not welcome two
13of Louisiana's HBCU presidents to the state of Louisiana; and
14 WHEREAS, the Southern University System welcomed new leadership in 2022,
15naming Dennis J. Shields as president of the system and chancellor of its flagship, Southern
16University and A&M College; and
17 WHEREAS, under president-chancellor Shields' leadership, informed by over forty
18years of higher education experience, each Southern University campus continues to
19advance, support, and promote economic, cultural, and workforce development initiatives
20that bring benefits beyond the borders of the great state of Louisiana; and
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HR NO. 32
1 WHEREAS, on July 1, 2023, Rochelle L. Ford, Ph.D., APR, was named the eighth
2president of Dillard University; and
3 WHEREAS, Dr. Ford has built a robust resume in higher education administration,
4research, and instruction and is recognized nationally for her work in public relations; and
5 WHEREAS, under President Ford's leadership, Dillard will prioritize advancing
6equity and opportunities through economic development with world-class education and
7workforce training, sustainability and innovation, improving cybersecurity, promoting safe
8and equitable communities, food equity, physical and mental health, and entrepreneurship;
9and
10 WHEREAS, since their establishment one hundred eighty-seven years ago, HBCUs
11have continued to build a legacy of excellence, achievement, and inclusion; and
12 WHEREAS, in the face of discrimination against Black Americans by many
13institutions of higher education, HBCUs created pathways to opportunity and educational
14excellence for Black students throughout our nation, building America's black middle class;
15and
16 WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs collectively enrolled 23,071 students in 2022-2023;
17and
18 WHEREAS, HBCU graduates are exemplary public servants, scientists, doctors,
19artists, lawyers, judges, engineers, educators, entertainers, business owners, and leaders; and
20 WHEREAS, the pageantry, traditions, bands, and rivalries of HBCUs are second to
21none; and
22 WHEREAS, the legacy and history of Louisiana's HBCUs will, for the first time, be
23permanently installed in the Capitol Park Museum; and
24 WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs have distinguished themselves in numerous ways,
25both nationally and in the state; and
26 WHEREAS, Dillard University will offer its first master of science in nursing in Fall
272023, and is recognized for its National Institute of Health Center for Minority Health and
28Health Equity Research, its nationally ranked mock trial program and Center for Racial
29Justice, and for producing distinguished alumni such as Justice Orelia Merchant, who has
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HR NO. 32
1been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a United States District Court Judge for
2the Eastern District of New York; and
3 WHEREAS, Grambling State University is the leading producer of computer science
4graduates in the state, is the only institution to offer bachelor's degree programs in
5cybersecurity and cloud computing, is currently constructing the first digital library at an
6HBCU and on a Louisiana college campus, and consistently produces graduates in
7recession-proof jobs in the fields of accounting, information technology, education, and
8beyond; and
9 WHEREAS, Southern University and A&M College, a Carnegie Research 2
10institution with high research activity, celebrates one hundred forty-three years of academic
11and social progress, serves communities through various programs, including its School of
12Nursing partnership with the Ochsner Health System to create the "Jag Mobile" community
13health unit, and produces distinguished alumni such as recent Medal of Freedom honoree
14Colonel Paris Davis (retired), who received the honor from President Joe Biden in March
152023; and
16 WHEREAS, Southern University at New Orleans will begin its bachelor of science
17in nursing and bachelor of science in cybersecurity programs in Fall 2023 and has taken
18critical steps to support community mental wellness by establishing a Grief and Trauma
19Center, Counseling Center, and ZEN Room on its campus; and
20 WHEREAS, Southern University Shreveport (SUSLA) celebrates fifty-five years of
21providing an accessible, excellent educational experience to students and programming for
22its surrounding community, has unveiled the Roy Griggs School of Business to advance
23SUSLA's academic and workforce priorities by helping to close gaps in the region and assist
24in business retention and expansion efforts, and has been approved by the Louisiana Board
25of Regents to offer more than ten new academic programs; and
26 WHEREAS, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center has
27established the Mobile Education & Technology Center to travel across the state of
28Louisiana to bring internet access, hands-on testing, and live instruction to the most
29marginalized areas and remote corners of the state, and the related College of Agricultural,
30Family and Consumer Science hosts the environmental toxicology Ph.D. program, the only
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HR NO. 32
1program of its kind in Louisiana, offering four areas of specialization in chemical and
2biochemical toxicology: cellular and molecular biology, developmental biology, material
3science, and bioinformatics; and
4 WHEREAS, Southern University Law Center is celebrating seventy-five years of
5opening doors for legal professionals; under the leadership of Chancellor John K. Pierre, the
6Law Center continues to thrive as a progressive and transformational legal education
7institution that provides access and opportunity to its students and community through
8innovative programming and experiential learning; and
9 WHEREAS, Xavier University of Louisiana was recognized as the most successful
10HBCU for upward mobility and third in the nation for economic return on investment in
112022 and recently announced its plans to establish a College of Medicine with Ochsner
12Health System, which will be the fifth HBCU medical school in the nation.
13 WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Louisiana's Historically Black Colleges
14and Universities for their outstanding achievements and to commend their numerous alumni
15for their contributions to their local communities, the state, and the world.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
17Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as Historically
18Black Colleges and Universities Day at the state capitol and does hereby acknowledge
19Louisiana's HBCUs for their invaluable contributions to our residents and state.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 32 Original 2023 Regular Session Hughes
To recognize Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as HBCU Day at the state capitol.
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