Bringing Communities Together for Education

Where can you see state and city leaders from around the country gather to talk about education? At a UNCF governor’s, mayor’s and leaders’ luncheons —a series of public events that take place in cities across the country.

During these events, local, state and national leaders from both the public and private sectors get together to discuss how we can ensure African American and other minority students get a good education, starting in pre-school and continuing through college graduation and beyond.

And it’s not just elected leaders who share their views. These UNCF luncheons attract business leaders who talk about what they expect from schools—and what they’re prepared to contribute.

K-12 and college leaders talk about the improvements they have made and the changes they still need to address.

Attend an event.

At one recent luncheon, for example, a wide-ranging discussion included a state university provost who talked about why college costs so much and what state and the federal governments should do about it. At another, a school- system official and the founder of a successful charter school talked with community and corporate leaders about what they had to offer the city’s students.

In a society too often sharply divided about how to make education better, these UNCF luncheons play a critical role: they bring people together. Leaders from across the political and philosophical spectrum and parents and other education stakeholders share perspectives and leave with a better understanding of one another’s views.

And UNCF’s role as host for these events ensures that the interests of those for whom we speak— students, families and communities of color—have their interests are represented and their needs addressed as well.