Care with the Blue: Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities

As I wrap up the week, today's post in my series on the Blue Book looks at the Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Summary of the Report
This committee was also created by EC in 2015, focused on how our church might better support our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). There are two remaining institutions in our church: St. Augustine's University in Raleigh, NC, and Voorhees College in Denmark, SC.

The committee notes that their calling together was fortuitous because both St. Augustine's and Voorhees were going through significant financial turmoil. Thus, the committee was able to ensure that EC actively supported these two institutions as they seemed to find firmer footing. One of our HBCUs, St. Paul's in Lawrenceville, VA, closed in 2012 and so the committee hopes that more active support with the two remaining institutions can keep that from happening again. Their report notes, "There are few historically black institutions more valuable to its community and the economics and culture of the larger society than Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Statistics show that approximately one half of all black college graduates are products of HBCUs."

Reaction to the Report
Given the work we are trying to engage in through racial reconciliation, it seems particularly important that the work this committee did be affirmed and that the next EC continue it on. Our church was able to have a significant impact in the life of these institutions in the past triennium—I hope that impact will continue and deepen.

Note: You can click here for a list of all Blue Book Reports & Resolutions that have thus far been reviewed.