Delaware State University’s president, Dr. Tony Allen, wrote a letter to the Biden administration to thank them for what they have done for HBCUs. This letter comes shortly after President Biden announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the upcoming election. Dr. Allen also mentioned Vice President Kamala in the letter as well.
Dr. Allen says that no administration in history has done more for HBCUs than President Biden. Delaware State and President Biden have a history, as it was the location where he launched his first campaign back in 1971.
“While many have suggested that they comprehend the importance of America’s HBCUs, no administration—and we do mean NO administration—in the history of our republic — has done more for HBCUs than the Biden-Harris Administration,” wrote the head of the same administration's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges & Universities.
The Biden administration has given approximately $17 billion in investments to HBCUs in just under four years. In his letter, Dr. Allen highlighted specific acts of President Biden throughout his term that have helped HBCUs:
- The American Rescue Plan for emergency grants for students, campus operations, staffing, and learning during the pandemic
- Infrastructure loan forgiveness for 45 public and private HBCUs
- The expansion of academic capacity as well as financial aid for students from low- and middle-income families; and support for HBCUs, which were victimized by bomb threats to their campuses
- Expanding research opportunities for HBCUs, allowing them to become more competitive as centers for innovation
- And, approving nearly $160 billion in student debt cancellation for over 4.5 million people
The largest increase in Pell Grants in the last decade has been implemented during the Biden administration. The administration also introduced a new student debt repayment plan that reduced payments for undergraduate borrowers by half and made permanent improvements to Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
In his letter, Dr. Allen wrote a portion to Vice President Harris directly.
“Madam Vice President, please know that your substantive impact is not lost on us,” he wrote. “Like many of our mothers and fathers told us, and as I suspect your parents told you, too, ‘You have to be twice as good, twice as smart, twice as resilient, and twice as thoughtful just to get a seat at the table at which we have been settling for crumbs.'
“Your example has taught us that we can set our own table.”
Back in 2021, President Biden appointed Dr. Allen as the Chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This decision came just a year after Dr. Allen became president of Delaware State. The Board was established to further advance the goal of the HBCU Initiative, which was established during the Carter Administration, to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to their students and continue serving as engines of opportunity.
Dr. Allen concluded his letter by stating how well the board has done under the leadership of Biden and Harris., stating in the letter that they will continue to do so as long as they allow them to serve.
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