Senator Tim Scott hosts virtual meeting aimed at bettering HBCUs, advancing Black community

UPSTATE, S.C. (WSPA) – South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott is striving to improve relationships, funding and opportunities for students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In December, Sen. Scott unanimously passed the HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students (PARTNERS) Act to strengthen relationships between federal agencies and HBCUs. This legislation will require federal agencies with relevant grants and programs to plan and coordinate their efforts to support and expand those programs to include HBCUs.

Sen. Scott held his fifth annual virtual HBCU Fly In on Wednesday. HBCU presidents, chancellors and U.S. state senators and other leaders discussed future plans and shared stories about their efforts to improve the lives of students.

“It is important now more than ever that we do what is necessary to ensure the success of our HBCUs,” Scott said.

The discussion included conversations about the need for better access to capital for Black graduates who decide to dive into entrepreneurship and the importance of hiring Black people into executive positions.

“When it comes down to the C-Suites, the boardrooms and everything else we need to have people of color and of all kinds of races sitting at the table. The world is not just all white, it’s not all Black, nor is it all Hispanic or Asian. The world is a melting pot of people and diversity of thought is extremely important,” Emmitt Smith, former NFL player and entrepreneur said.

The state of South Carolina is home to eight out of 107 total HBCUs, all of which would benefit from additional funding and improved relationships with federal agencies.