[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 19563-19564] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WEEK ______ HON. DANNY K. DAVIS of illinois in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate National Historically Black Colleges and Universities week, designated as September 7-13, 2008. It is a pleasure to recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities--or HBCUs--and their successes in educating many of the nation's African American undergraduate and graduate students. There are over 100 HBCUs, and they provide a key pathway for African Americans and other minorities to take part in higher education. Although HBCUs represent only about 2.4 percent of higher education institutions, they enroll almost 12 percent of African American students who attend college. These institutions offer degrees at various levels across many subject areas. They play a critical role in educating black students in the fields of science and engineering. Indeed, 2004 data demonstrate that, of degrees earned by African American students, HBCUs conferred 20 percent degrees in engineering, 39 percent in the physical sciences, 26 percent in computer science, 37 percent in mathematics, 36 percent in the biological sciences, 47 percent in agricultural sciences, 16 percent in social sciences, and 21 percent in psychology. This success is especially impressive given the historical financial discrimination these institutions endured from Federal and State governments. It was an HBCU that started me on my path to become the person that I am today. Growing up in rural Arkansas, my parents were low-income sharecroppers, who raised ten children. Seven of us attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which was then called Arkansas AM&N College. Subsequently, three of my nephews, a niece, as well as several of my cousins attended the same college. If it were not for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, I strongly believe that my family members and I would not have been able to attend college. Many African American members of Congress and many of our nation's leaders have attended HBCUs--Jesse Jackson, Jr., Jesse Jackson, Sr., Alcee Hastings, Dr. Martin Luther King, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Thurgood Marshall, just to name a few. The continued support and funding of HBCUs is essential to create more opportunities for people of color to thrive in education and become leaders of tomorrow. To this end, I advocated actively on their behalf during the recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Today more than ever, professional success is linked with a higher education degree. I am pleased that the 110th Congress has demonstrated a commitment to strengthening HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. HBCUs serve large populations of students [[Page 19564]] with great financial and academic needs and deserve continued Federal support to graduate men and women of color. In honor of the 2008 HBCU week, I recognize HBCUs for their rich heritage, history, and culture and for the opportunities they provide to students to learn, grow, and succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income. ____________________