The truth about HBCU funding is simple: Major and meaningful investments are being made, and the numbers tell the story. Yet in today’s virtual reality, false narratives often move faster than facts, and innuendo overshadows action. Fortunately, in the real world, results speak louder than rhetoric.
For more than a century, our HBCUs have carried the torch of educational excellence, producing generations of leaders, thinkers, and pioneers who have shaped every corner of American life. From distinguished beginnings to thriving campuses that now educate hundreds of thousands of students across the nation, our institutions continue to uplift as we climb to higher heights and expectations. We have achieved exceptional outcomes with limited resources and yet have never wavered in our commitment to excellence.
The legacy of HBCU achievement is being matched by meaningful action and measurable results. Last month, the United States Department of Education announced a sweeping award of nearly $500 million in additional discretionary funds benefiting HBCUs and similar institutions, marking an unprecedented level of investment in Black higher education. This historic action represents a 48 percent increase in federal investment, bringing the total annual funding for our institutions to more than $1.3 billion.
Federal officials also made a significant policy move in deciding to reallocate funding to HBCUs that was originally reserved for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. This was not an act of favoritism but one of fairness and compliance. The reallocation followed findings that certain HSI funding practices conflicted with federal guidelines and the race-neutral intent of federal education law, while HBCUs remained fully compliant and eligible under existing statutes. The Department stated, “Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States.”
Such a bold decision by the Trump administration should not remain a whisper campaign. It deserves acknowledgment as a defining act of confidence and commitment in the future of our HBCUs.
Even the United Negro College Fund, one of the most respected advocates for Black higher education, called the additional funding “nothing short of a godsend.” The organization expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and the Department of Education for their partnership and commitment to supporting HBCUs through this action.
We should also give credit where credit is due. Too often, good news in the Black community is downplayed or ignored when it does not fit a preferred political narrative. But facts are facts. The claim that the Department of Education would dismantle our HBCUs is not supported by evidence. That narrative may have stirred fear and division, but the reality is that the future looks bright and is driven by renewed commitment and historic levels of investment.
These new resources can, and should, be utilized to strengthen infrastructure, expand research, and support faculty development while enhancing the overall quality of education nationwide.
From distinguished origins to today’s modern campuses, our HBCUs must invest in cutting-edge technology, health care innovation, and public policy programs that keep them at the forefront of progress. Texas Southern University stands among those advancing that mission, preparing students to meet the demands of a global and rapidly changing economy.
This historic investment confirms that our institutions are not relics of the past, but enduring engines of innovation for the future.
So, in the words of a familiar colloquialism, “Don’t hate. Congratulate.” Let’s celebrate this victory and keep moving the ball down the field of academic achievement. In this new chapter for America’s HBCUs, respect has found its place, and justice has found its way home.
