Ayesha Rascoe covered three presidential administrations for NPR and is now discussing the political power of historically Black colleges and universities in her new book.
Rascoe penned the book " HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience,” a compilation of essays from notable HBCU graduates.
“The publisher of the book, they actually came to me and said they would like to put together a collection of essays from HBCU graduates so HBCU graduates in their own words could say why these institutions are so important. And this had not been done before,” the Howard University alumna said.
Rascoe says HBCUs have produced high-ranking Black professionals despite historically being underfunded.
“So you can talk about just the politics of HBCUs, but the research says they still don’t get their fair share a lot of times,” Rascoe says.
Georgia has 10 historically Black colleges and universities, one of the largest totals in the nation. While most of them are private, three of those schools are public and part of the University System of Georgia, which receives state funding to operate. The three public institutions — Albany State University, Fort Valley State University and Savannah State University — have much smaller budgets than some other schools in the University System, which primarily ties spending to enrollment.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones tried to fix that disparity this past legislative session, backing Senate Bill 235 in an op-ed for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The legislation aimed to provide support to HBCUs and their surrounding communities. The bill cleared the state Senate but never got a floor vote in the House.
Rascoe says HBCUs are particularly important because they foster a diversity of thought in the Black community.
“I mean, in the book, people would talk about meeting their first Black Republican on that HBCU campus, and there were definitely college Republicans in a group at Howard,” says the host of “Weekend Edition Sunday.”
Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams was among the contributors to the book, penning an essay about her time at Atlanta’s Spelman College.
Rascoe says HBCUs have the attention of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Rascoe says HBCUs have the attention of President Joe Biden — who picked a Howard alumna, Kamala Harris, as his vice president ― and former President Donald Trump.
“I think what you’re seeing with Trump and with Biden is the acknowledgment that these spaces are very important to the Black community,” Rascoe says. “These are places where you can get young rising Black professionals who you’re going to want to vote for you to get the word out for you.”
Tuesday on “Politically Georgia”: state Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta, and political consultant Robert Schwartz, who is spearheading a movement called Haley Voters for Biden.
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