G.K. Butterfield

UNCF Celebrates 75 Years of Investing in Better Futures at National DC Gala

During an historic night—in more ways than one—UNCF (United Negro College Fund) celebrated its 75th anniversary at its national UNCF “A Mind is…” Gala in Washington, DC, March 7. The event helped the storied organization reach new fundraising heights, raising more than it ever has during a single event—$3.4 million—for UNCF’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The event, whose title echoes the group’s iconic motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,”® celebrated the founding of the organization by Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) president Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson with backing from corporate leaders led by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Coca Cola President Robert W. Woodruff.

The Congressional Black Caucus Year in Review

Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) released the CBC Year-in-Review annual report last week, highlighting the CBC’s activities and engagement in the first legislative session of the 114th Congress.

CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield Statement on Supreme Court Vacancy

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reinforcing the Republican political agenda to disrupt governmental functions when the circumstances do not line up with their philosophy. It is imperative that we have nine members of the United States Supreme Court deciding constitutional issues that are important to the American people. It is absurd to suggest that President Obama should be denied the opportunity to nominate a qualified jurist to replace Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court. The American people should clearly understand that Senate Republicans have a political agenda to pack the Court with conservative justices who would reverse years of progressive jurisprudence.

Congressional Black Caucus Recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Higher Education Act

Recently, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G. K. Butterfield released the following statement recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Higher Education Act: “The Higher Education Act opened the door to opportunity for millions of students and families around the country by making college more affordable and accessible to those who are the most in need.  On the fiftieth anniversary of its enactment, Members of the CBC call on our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recommit our efforts to strengthening and reauthorizing the Higher Education Act as soon as possible. “The Higher Education Act is the largest authorized federal