For @JoeBiden most of his HBCU connections are from his state, as he shares how Delaware State University students helped with his Senate campaign. He spoke for commencement there in 2016 and did a video greeting this year. 1/
As Vice President he announced a grant for HBCUs and cybersecurity funding. The announcement was made at Norfolk State University. 2/ obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-offi…
Biden spoke at the 2015 White House HBCU meeting. This article is really good because it acknowledged the frustrations some had with President Obama, and Biden was a familiar friend people could talk to. 3/ indianapolisrecorder.com/news/article_4…
Like the vast majority of Democratic candidates, he has an explicit plan for HBCUs so we now have something to hold him accountable for. If HBCUs are an issue for you, you should review both candidate's websites to review their plans. 4/4 joebiden.com/beyondhs/
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I'm sorry @PolitiFact - but your fact check regarding HBCUs is incorrect. A 🧵His campaign "promise" was half a sentence from an October 2016 speech in Charlotte: "My plan will also ensure funding for historic black colleges and universities..." 1/
But as I have shared, he proposed over $100M in cuts to HBCUs in his 4 budget proposals, including the program made permanent under the FUTURE Act. He zeroed it out in his FY20 budget, noted by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. 2/
Too often we take things out of context. So while traveling I decided to listen to the entire 45-minute Trump even at the Detroit church. The news didn't indicate he mentioned HBCUs. But let me go through his remarks- a 🧵 1/
He said "We have record funding to historically Black colleges and universities. You all know that." But what he never says is that for his 4 budgets, he requested $107M in cuts for the 3 largest Title III programs!
Here are the DOE budget tables, FY18- FY21. Compare his request, what the House and Senate proposed, and the final appropriation. In spite of him trying to cut every year, CONGRESS increased HBCU funding by $118M during his term. Taking credit without doing the work! 3/
“Lying requires no work and has no limits. It demands no proof.... Told often and emphatically enough, lies can overwhelm the truth...” Brian Rosenberg
Quick 🧵on this evolving lie... 1/
Let's start with the "where they had none." HBCUs have had federal funding since the 1960s. You can see almost 20 years here. But note in 2008 there is a new category- mandatory funding. 2/
Under President Bush the College Cost Reduction Act was passed, which included a new, 2-year mandatory program for HBCUs. 3/
Since folks continue to speculate what's on this paper, I thought I should tell you. (Hint: nothing). A 🧵 1/
Way too many people think that Trump's HBCU executive order provided funding, provided permanent funding, or totally funded HBCUs. Point 1- there is NO MONEY allocated. In fact, you can't even find the word million or billion. 2/
There is a debate that continues about the ability of President's to appropriate funding through an EO. This is a good article explaining it.
I’ve recently realized how often people cite Dr. Lomax “thanking” President Trump as proof that he was a consequential force in HBCU funding. A 🧵 about the thanks was nowhere near a ringing endorsement. 1/
People get the quote from this article where it says “Michael Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, thanked Trump and the thousands of advocates who lobbied Congress to support the bill.” 2/ apnews.com/article/c4834e…
The UNCF press release provides full context. Before even mentioning Trump, Lomax clearly indicates bipartisan support PLUS pressure by HBCU alumni and advocates to get this done. If the President had placed this in his budget, this would not be needed (KEY POINT). 3/
I've had enough of people sharing this article which masquerades as journalism, and even more disappointed to see someone who should know better add to the foolishness. So here is a 🧵to make it make sense. 1/
Here is the @Newsweek article. Newsweek is wrong for posting this article on a number of fronts. First, it summarizes a few paragraphs of the original article by the Associated Press, and then pastes the rest of the @AP article. 2/ newsweek.com/hbcu-funding-f…
Here is the ORIGINAL article. Compare the framing of the story with the titles. The Newsweek article misleads folks by saying funding falls, suggesting HBCUs had $45 BILLION that Biden cut (more on what $45 billion buys in a bit). 3/ apnews.com/article/corona…