LeadMN stands in solidarity with our colleagues and student communities at H.B.C.U.s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) who are facing difficult times and threats to their campuses and institutions of learning. We wholeheartedly denounce the targeting of historically Black colleges and universities.
As we start Black History Month, we want to acknowledge a history of discrimination and racism in education and to honor the fight to create and uphold a pathway for educational attainment for Black Americans in the United States.
These threats to the nation’s H.B.C.U.s are a direct reminder of our history of violence and segregation. H.B.C.U.s were created to provide much needed opportunities and pathways to educational equity, as such, they symbolize strength, resilience and success. It’s our responsibility to ensure they remain pillars for future generations. Recent events are a result of reignited discourse around our history as a nation and what it means to move towards racial justice.
All students deserve to feel safe in our institutions of learning. It is integral that we invest the same care and resources in keeping these campuses safe. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s remember that Black History is American History.