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Divine 9 members in North Carolina are expressing their concerns about educational resources for HBCUs.
Members of fraternities and sororities within the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) met with state lawmakers in North Carolina to make a case for increased funding to key areas involving education, healthcare, and politics.
On Wednesday, May 7, the North Carolina Black Alliance’s “Divine 9” fraternities and sororities came together to express their concerns to state lawmakers about educational resources for HBCUs, WRAL reports. The Black Greek-lettered organization members came with an agenda to address election protection, healthcare access, and educational equity.
Gov. Roy Cooper sat for speeches that began at 9 a.m. and included a keynote address from Rev. Dr. William Barber. North Carolina House Democratic leader Robert Reives regarded the annual meeting, held at Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh, as vital in addressing critical issues impacting the state.
North Carolina houses 12 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) including the oldest in the South, Raleigh’s Shaw University, founded in 1865, and North Carolina’s newest HBCU, North Carolina Central University, founded in 1910 in Durham. With HBCUs serving a huge component of the state’s college culture, Reives stressed the importance of addressing increased funding for the schools.
“This event is important … it’s a chance for all of our Black fraternities and sororities to come together that are based here in North Carolina, to really get a chance to see what we do, to talk about what’s going on with the issues that matter to us,” Reives said.
He noted the focus the state government needs to put on additional resources for HBCUs in North Carolina.
“What’s on top of mind for me right now is education,” he added. “It is our great building block. That’s the one thing that evens out everything … we have to amplify the importance of making sure that everybody gets a good solid education.”
There are twelve HBCUS in North Carolina with only eleven being recognized as HBCUS by the US Department of Education.
- Barber Scotia College (Not recognized as an HBCU by the US Department of Education)
- Bennett College
- Elizabeth City State University
- Fayetteville State University
- Hood Theological Seminary
- Johnson C Smith University
- Livingstone College
- North Carolina Central University
- North Carolina A&T State University
- Shaw University
- Saint Augustine’s University
- Winston-Salem State University
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