The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) 2024 Presidents and Chancellors HBCU Fly-In in Washington, D.C. brought together presidents and chancellors of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) with members of Congress and key government and corporate officials to discuss policy issues affecting TMCF member schools.

“It’s important for the presidents of our respective universities to be here,” Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund, said. “When they see you, it matters, and they remember. They remember your institution. They remember you.”

The annual two-day event serves as a platform for HBCU leaders, influential job creators and policy makers. The HBCU Fly-In connects leaders across these industries for discussion and opportunities for enhancing educational attainment, strengthening collaboration and addressing workforce needs.

“The power of all of us together is extremely important,” Racquel Oden, chair of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Board, said. “Seeing us as one unified, focused organization that is representing all of you allows us to have a voice. We all know, right now, our voice needs to be heard. It matters and it’s critical.”

Col. (Ret.) Alexander Conyers, president of South Carolina State University, agreed with Oden on the collaborative importance of the HBCU Fly-In.

“This event is important to me because it allows HBCU presidents and chancellors from across the country to come together and work collaboratively to figure out some of our greatest challenges,” Conyers said.

The event is part of TMCF’s policy, advocacy and capacity building work, which includes advocating for federal legislation and policy that promote the sustainability and growth of member schools, as well as help institutions access resources to build capacity and strengthen academic and financial support.

“To be able to have the opportunity to engage with leaders of institutions from across the country, as well as our congressional leaders, to make sure that they understand the contributions that our institutions are making to the success of this country is incredible for us,” Dr. Patricia G. Sims, president of Drake State Community and Technical College, said.

Presidents and chancellors also met with Congressional Black Caucus leadership, senior members of the Biden administration and attended workshops and meetings with Business Roundtable members. Discussions included the TMCF value proposition, sustainability and capacity-building for member institutions, and a fireside chat with U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona. Attendees thanked Cardona for his commitment to HBCUs and encouraged him to extend financial aid verification for another year to assist with the onboarding of Better FAFSA.

Presidents and chancellors received presentations from Boeing, the National Institutes of Health and the American Council on Education regarding the revisions to the methodology for the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Important conversations were also had about modernizing America’s workforce development system with U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and Ranking Member Bobby Scott, reimagining postsecondary pathways and presentations by the U.S. Department of Defense University-Affiliated Research Center Laboratories (UARCs) and the U.S. Department of Commerce about CHIPS for America.   

For Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, president of Bowie State University, the work continues after the HBCU Fly-In.

“We need to continue to share the story about our historic institutions,” Breaux said. “Raising awareness about the value that we bring to our communities, including the economic value that we bring, and raising the bar for many others to invest in our historic institutions.”

To learn more, view the HBCU Fly-in video.