It all started with a letter. The President of Tuskegee Institute (now University), Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, knew how tragic wasted potential was to the plight of the Black community.
So he pleaded with fellow HBCU leaders to “pool their small monies and make a united appeal to the national conscience.”
Twenty-seven initial member colleges banded together to form the United Negro College Fund, an organization that has undeniably impacted our community by spending BILLIONS on Black futures.
UNCF has provided nearly 500,000 Black students with the financial support necessary to attend and graduate college with annual scholarships and internship opportunities.
These young people make up the next generation of scholars, community and business leaders, and revolutionaries.
They even provide resources such as curriculum and faculty development programs to operate 37 private HBCUs successfully.
There’s also UNCFs advocacy work – lobbying for federal funding and public policies that directly impact and protect the interests of all HBCUs!
Respected icons including Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, and Beyoncé have all generously supported UNCFs mission throughout the years – but lack of funding is a constant challenge.
The organization’s motto, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste,” makes it clear that Black intellectual spaces are crucial to the work of Black liberation and deserve our continued support.