SLS 23RS-472 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 22
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH. Recognizes Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Day at the Capitol.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To recognize Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as Historically Black Colleges and Universities
3 (HBCU) Day at the Capitol.
4 WHEREAS, Louisiana is proud to be home to eight Historically Black Colleges and
5 Universities: Dillard University, Grambling State University, Southern University and A&M
6 College, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Southern
7 University Law Center, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University
8 Shreveport, and Xavier University of Louisiana; and
9 WHEREAS, Louisiana is also home to the nation's only HBCU System, the Southern
10 University System, which is uniquely positioned as an exemplar with a profound
11 commitment to research and student success; and
12 WHEREAS, it would be remiss not to welcome two of Louisiana's HBCU presidents
13 to the state of Louisiana; and
14 WHEREAS, the Southern University System welcomed new leadership in 2022,
15 naming Dennis J. Shields as President of the System and Chancellor of its flagship, Southern
16 University and A&M College; and
17 WHEREAS, under President-Chancellor Shields' leadership, informed by over 40
18 years of higher education experience, each Southern University campus continues to
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SLS 23RS-472 ORIGINAL
1 advance, support, and promote economic, cultural, and workforce development initiatives
2 that bring benefits beyond the borders of the great state of Louisiana; and
3 WHEREAS, on July 1, 2023, Rochelle L. Ford, PhD, APR, was named the eighth
4 president of Dillard University; and
5 WHEREAS, Rochelle L. Ford, PhD, APR, has built a robust resume in higher
6 education administration, research and instruction and is recognized nationally for her work
7 in public relations; and
8 WHEREAS, under President Ford's leadership, Dillard will prioritize advancing
9 equity and opportunities through economic development with world-class education and
10 workforce training, sustainability and innovation, improving cybersecurity, promoting safe
11 and equitable communities, food equity, physical and mental health, and entrepreneurship;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, since their establishment 187 years ago, HBCUs have continued to build
14 a legacy of excellence, achievement, and inclusion; and
15 WHEREAS, in the face of discrimination against black Americans by many
16 institutions of higher education, HBCUs created pathways to opportunity and educational
17 excellence for black students throughout our nation, building America's black middle class;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs collectively enrolled 23,071 students in 2022-2023;
20 and
21 WHEREAS, HBCU graduates are exemplary public servants, scientists, doctors,
22 artists, lawyers, judges, engineers, educators, entertainers, business owners, and leaders; and
23 WHEREAS, the pageantry, traditions, bands, and rivalries of HBCUs are second to
24 none; and
25 WHEREAS, the legacy and history of Louisiana's HBCUs will, for the first time, be
26 permanently installed in the Capitol Park Museum; and
27 WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs have distinguished themselves in numerous ways,
28 both nationally and in the state as follows:
29 Dillard University will offer its first Master of Science in Nursing in Fall 2023, and
30 is recognized for its National Institute of Health Center for Minority Health and Health
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1 Equity Research, its nationally ranked mock trial program and Center for Racial Justice, and
2 for producing distinguished alumni such as Justice Orelia Merchant, who has been
3 nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the
4 Eastern District of New York; and
5 Grambling State University is the leading producer of computer science graduates
6 in the state, is the only institution to offer bachelor's degree programs in cybersecurity and
7 cloud computing, is currently constructing the first digital library at an HBCU and on a
8 Louisiana college campus, and consistently produces graduates in recession-proof jobs in
9 the fields of accounting, information technology, education, and beyond; and
10 Southern University and A&M College (SUBR), a Carnegie Research 2 institution
11 with high research activity, celebrates 143 years of academic and social progress, serves
12 communities through various programs, including its School of Nursing partnership with the
13 Ochsner Health System to create the "Jag Mobile" community health unit, and produces
14 distinguished alumni such as recent Medal of Freedom honoree, Colonel Paris Davis
15 (retired), who received the honor from President Joe Biden in March 2023; and
16 Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) will begin its Bachelor of Science
17 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 Trauma18
Center, Counseling Center and ZEN Room on its campus; and19
20 Southern University Shreveport (SUSLA) celebrates 55 years of providing an
21 accessible, excellent educational experience to students and programming for its surrounding
22 community, has unveiled the Roy Griggs School of Business to advance SUSLA's academic
23 and workforce priorities by helping to close gaps in the region and assist in business
24 retention and expansion efforts, and has been approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents
25 to offer more than 10 new academic programs; and
26 Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center has established
27 the Mobile Education & Technology Center to travel across the state of Louisiana to bring
28 internet access, hands-on testing, and live instruction to the most marginalized areas and
29 remote corners of the state and the related College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer
30 Science hosts the Environmental Toxicology PhD program, the only program of its kind in
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1 Louisiana, offering four areas of specialization in chemical and biochemical toxicology,
2 cellular and molecular biology, developmental biology, material science, and bioinformatics;
3 and
4 Southern University Law Center (SULC) celebrating 75 years of opening doors
5 for legal professionals and under the leadership of Chancellor John K. Pierre, the Law Center
6 continues to thrive as a progressive and transformational legal education institution that
7 provides access and opportunity to its students and community through innovative
8 programming and experiential learning; and
9 Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) was recognized as the most successful
10 HBCU for upward mobility and third in the nation for economic return on investment in
11 2022, and recently announced its plans to establish a College of Medicine with Ochsner
12 Health System, which will be the fifth HBCU medical school in the nation; and
13 WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Louisiana's Historically Black Colleges
14 and Universities for their outstanding achievements and their numerous alumni for their
15 contributions to their local communities, the state, and the world.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
17 does hereby recognize Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as HBCU Day at the Capitol and does
18 hereby acknowledge Louisiana's HBCUs for their invaluable contributions to our residents
19 and state.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Sylvia Copper.
DIGEST
SR 22 Original 2023 Regular Session Boudreaux
Recognizes Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as HBCU Day at the Capitol and acknowledges
Louisiana's HBCUs for their invaluable contributions to our residents and state.
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