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