WASHINGTON, DC (February 29, 2024) – Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) will host the 2024 Presidents & Chancellors HBCU Fly-In March 6-7 in Washington, D.C. The event brings presidents and chancellors of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) together with members of Congress and key government and corporate officials to discuss issues of law and policy impacting TMCF member schools. More than 30 presidents and chancellors will attend.
“Supporting this HBCU Fly-In is important to TMCF because we believe in active bipartisan engagement to achieve results for our member-schools,” Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO, said. “When you bring HBCU presidents together in one room, that energy is electrifying; things can happen, and things can move. While we have achieved significant gains on behalf of the entire Black college community, through our efforts, more work can be done for our schools.”
The two-day event is a vital platform for HBCU leaders, influential figures in the job market, and policy makers. The HBCU Fly-In serves as a forum for discussion for pioneering strategies to enhance educational attainment, strengthen collaborations across sectors and address the dynamic needs of the American workforce.
Attendees will convene with Business Roundtable members in a closed meeting to discuss the challenges and opportunities member schools are facing while figuring out how to partner together to provide students with employment opportunities. TMCF and Business Roundtable began a partnership in 2021 to invest in HBCU students and develop a diverse talent pipeline. To date, more than 50 Business Roundtable companies have partnered with TMCF through scholarship support, professional development and internship opportunities.
“The partnership we have with the Business Roundtable is particularly significant because it’s an organization that represents the CEOs of over 200 of America’s leading companies,” David K. Sheppard, chief business and legal officer at TMCF, said. “The HBCU Fly-In is the premier event for our presidents and chancellors to also meet with members of Congress, agency administrators and representatives of the Biden administration.”
The HBCU Fly-In is part of TMCF’s broader policy, advocacy and capacity building work. TMCF develops and advocates for federal legislation and policies that facilitate the sustainability and growth of HBCUs and PBIs, as well as help institutions access resources to build capacity and strengthen academic and financial support. In recent years, TMCF advocacy has resulted in $5.5 billion in pandemic-relief funds specifically for HBCUs; the introduction and passage of legislation that helped establish the first University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC) on an HBCU campus; and the discharge of more than $1.3 billion loans acquired through the HBCU Capital Finance Program.
The event also includes meetings with Congressional Black Caucus leadership, senior members of the Biden Administration, workshops and a reception co-hosted by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in the Capitol. Topics include the TMCF value proposition, HBCU sustainability, capacity-building opportunities and the advocacy agenda for HBCUs, PBIs and their students.