Black lawmakers create caucus to serve Predominantly Black Institutions

A host of Black lawmakers have banded together to create a new congressional caucus meant to educate policymakers about and uplift the needs of Predominantly Black Institutions. 

Democratic Reps. Robin Kelly (Ill.), Danny K. Davis (Ill.), Jonathan Jackson (Ill.) and Yvette D. Clarke (N.Y.) introduced the Congressional Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Caucus Wednesday.

PBIs are mainly two-year colleges, according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, and they serve 6.8 percent of the entire Black postsecondary student population. 

In 2007, PBIs were recognized by Congress under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which sought to expand access to federal grants to institutions with limited wealth for colleges serving low-income Black Americans. Then-Sen. Barack Obama worked with Davis and then-Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.) to pass the legislation. 

“Predominantly Black Institutions play an essential role in educating Black students in Chicago and across the country,” said Davis, adding that thus far more than $45 million have been invested in PBIs in Chicago, which covers his district. 

The PBI Caucus, Davis said, will “help legislators understand the importance of these colleges and universities and to advance policies to help these institutions and their students thrive.”

Today, there are approximately 110 PBIs spread around the country and serve over 448,000 students, many of whom are low-income and first-generation students, according to a release announcing the caucus. 

“PBIs foster Black student success, offer direct support to first-generation and low-income students, and address some of the most pressing challenges facing Black students,” Kelly said. 

Clarke, who has secured more than $31 million for PBIs in New York, said Congress has a “moral responsibility” to support the institutions and the students who attend these schools.  

"For decades, Predominantly Black Institutions have served to empower students of color with an equitable and quality education,” said Clarke.

The new caucus makes sure to distinguish PBIs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in that, though the two types of institutions do have similarities, HBCUs have documented discrimination by the federal government prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

This will be the first caucus to focus specifically on Predominantly Black Institutions, a point Jackson highlighted.

“Black Americans deserve institutions of higher learning that are focused on helping them grow and thrive,” said Jackson.