United Negro College Fund

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Honored with Statue in the U.S. Capitol

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator, civil rights activist, founder of Bethune-Cookman University, the founding President of the National Council of Negro Women, founder of the United Negro College Fund, and daughter of formerly enslaved parents, became the first African American honored with a state-commissioned statue in the U.S. Capitol National Statuary Hall.

Robert F. Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Frank Baker and William Pickard Top List of Black Donors to HBCUs 

A recent Washington Post story found that Black Americans donate a higher share of their wealth than their white counterparts – to the tune of around $11 billion each year. Given their cultural and educational importance to the Black community, HBCUs are the repository of much of these donations with a number of household names – and some you may not know – making big-dollar contributions to these institutions.  

IN MEMORIAM: Civil Rights Icon Vernon Jordan Dies at 85

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the world lost an influential figure in the fight for civil rights and American politics. “An icon to the world and a lifelong friend to the NAACP, his contribution to moving our society toward justice is unparalleled,” Johnson declared. “In 2001, Jordan received the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal for a lifetime of social justice activism. His exemplary life will shine as a guiding light for all that seek truth and justice for all people.”

Collin Binkley AP Education Writer

After months of negotiation, Congress gave final approval Tuesday for a bill promising to restore more than $250 million a year to the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, along with other institutions that teach large shares of minority students.

Gene Hale Foundation Donates $10,000 to GLAAACC Scholarship Fund

Since its inception in 2006, The Hale Foundation has donated tens of thousands of dollars to provide a helping hand to low-income families, children and young adults. In addition to providing money for educational scholarship donations, The Hale Foundation has donated to organizations that give assistance to children affected by homelessness and malnutrition.  Other beneficiaries of The Hale Foundation include: the United Negro College Fund, the L.A. Southwest College Education Foundation, Inner City Arts, Parents of Watts, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and L.A. Child Guidance Clinic.

‘Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’ Names UNCF Leaders Among Its Top 35 Women in Higher Education

Role models among women of color in higher education, Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis of Benedict College; Sharon L. Davies of Spelman College; Dr. Lily D. McNair of Tuskegee University; Dr. Andrea Lewis Miller of Lemoyne-Owen College; and Dr. Latoya Owens of UNCF (United Negro College Fund) have been chosen for the select 2019 list of “Leading Women in Higher Education” by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. These distinguished women, who all represent UNCF-member institutions, were formally recognized in the magazine’s March 2019 issue. In its second year, this annual recognition honors the contributions of women to higher education who stand out for their ability to forge solutions to the unprecedented challenges facing the nation’s higher education community. 

Walmart Heirs’ Money Influences Black Charter Schools Debate

The Walton family, as one of the leading supporters of America’s charter school movement, is spreading its financial support to prominent and like-minded Black leaders, from grassroots groups focused on education to mainstream national organizations such as the United Negro College Fund and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, according to an Associated Press analysis of tax filings and nonprofit grants data.