After a delay of eight months, the White House named a businessman as the head of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The new executive director, Johnathan Holifield, is co-founder of a consultancy specializing in economic inclusion and competitiveness. He has a background in economic development and leadership training in Ohio.
One of the first things President Donald Trump did in his new administration in February was to call together heads of HBCUs and promise support and that he would appoint a new director of the White House initiative. They have been waiting on delivery of the promises, and some have been vocally critical of the delay.
Holifield told HBCU leaders and advocates at a two-day White House summit on black colleges, which began Sunday, that he looks forward to helping the schools with their mission to boost this country’s competitiveness.“There is no path to sustained new job creation, shared prosperity, and enduring national competitiveness without the current and increased contributions of historically black colleges and universities,” he told the summit attendees.
You can read about the reception to the announcement in the full story at myAJC.com.
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