UNCF Statement on Election of Donald J. Trump as 45th President of the United States
UNCF congratulates President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence on their successful campaign.
UNCF’s “North Star” is to send more African American students to and through college, including to the nation’s HBCUs—institutions that, for 150 years, have produced African American teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, lawyers and leaders who have served their communities and the country. We believe, as does the larger African American community, that educational equity and opportunity are inextricably linked to economic success and social mobility.
We look forward to working with the Trump-Pence administration to create better futures for all Americans through education. When only six percent of African American children graduate from high school college-ready, and only 21 percent of African American young adults have earned bachelor’s degrees, it is clear that our education system still struggles to provide access to a quality education for students of diverse backgrounds, while the need for that education grows more essential each year.
We hope that President-elect Trump will make it a national priority to make a college education more accessible and affordable to more Americans in order to create the diverse, college-educated workforce that the nation needs to compete globally in the 21st-century economy.
There is much work to do. UNCF and our 37-member Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are ready to work with the Trump-Pence administration on these critical challenges in the weeks and months ahead.
We again extend congratulations to President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence.
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community, and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF annually awards $100 million in scholarships and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous news and updates, follow UNCF on Twitter, @UNCF.