WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 8, 2022 – The right to an education is one of our nation’s greatest freedoms. George Washington Carver, renowned scientist, and professor at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) once said, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom to our people.”

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are some of the nation’s most enduring symbols of what can be achieved when a people are determined to prosper. For decades, HBCU’s have faced threats of racial violence. These threats are violent attempts to keep Black people from receiving educations that ultimately unlock economic opportunity in America.

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) issued the following statement in response to the recent bomb threats targeted at HBCUs across the country.

Please see our statement, below:

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are essential to the American story.

Since their inception, HBCUs have educated and trained America’s most brilliant Black scholars, doctors, lawyers, and a myriad of other professionals – from the first Black Supreme Court Justice of the United States Thurgood Marshall to Kamala Harris, the first woman elected Vice President of the United States.  HBCUs have made a tremendous impact on American progress.  

However, despite their rich history, HBCUs are historically underfunded and often subject to threats of racial violence. The recent bomb threats at HBCU’s nationwide are particularly disturbing. Our students deserve to feel safe on campus.

We applaud the administration’s swift response but recognize that distractions like this only deepen the chasm between HBCU students and their counterparts at universities that do not face continuous instructional disruptions. These threats are as material as they are symbolic and we, the members of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), take them very seriously.

The ELC is the preeminent global membership organization for Black current and former CEOs, senior executives, and board members of Fortune 1000 and equivalent companies. We advocate for advancing Black leadership by increasing the number of Black corporate CEOs, C-Suite executives, and board members, as well as building a pipeline for the next generation of Black corporate leaders. HBCU graduates account for a significant number of the Black talent pipeline for the public and private sectors – HBCU students are the nation’s workforce of the future.

If our nation seeks to continue cultivating diverse talent and reaping the proven results of inclusive leadership – it is imperative that we prioritize investing in these historic institutions and the overall safety of their students. We hope Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to support thoughtful legislation that serves to protect these institutions and will work to pass the HBCU Ignite for Excellence Act, which provides needed federal investment for these institutions that mean so much to America and her continued success.

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About The Executive Leadership Council:

The Executive Leadership Council opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. An independent non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1986, The ELC is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-Suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprising nearly 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies, and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global Black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

For media inquiries, contact:

Eden Godbee, The Executive Leadership Council, egodbee@elcinfo.com