As the home of the largest HBCU in our nation, the monumental Morrill Act of 1890 has created countless opportunities for North Carolinians over the past 130 years. Each of the nineteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities established through this legislation, including North Carolina A&T State University, contribute immensely to the lives, education, and futures of thousands of students across the country. I am honored to continue my advocacy for these institutions through this resolution commemorating their historic anniversary.

Today is either the day that a wall of injustice around student-athletes started to crumble, or the day the NCAA used more tactics to bait and switch young men and women from some of America’s most vulnerable communities. My hope is the former and that the proposal on name, image, and likeness is genuine. If enacted in good faith, this move will save the college sports we love by creating equity, transparency, and opportunity.

“When we came to Congress, we made a promise to serve all North Carolinians, regardless of background, and work to open doors of hope and opportunity. We quickly learned that HBCUs were integral to that effort and that you can have a ‘R’ by your name, but build genuine relationships and create opportunities across all the communities you represent. These efforts are some of my most proud accomplishments in the House. I am blessed with bridges we have built across communities and know they will have a lasting and positive impact for generations of students.”

The power of prayer and the potential of our students should never be suppressed. Prayer is a uniting force, a reason for hope, a call for virtue, and one of the most powerful tools for our next generation of leaders. I am thankful that President Trump and his administration have taken this action to affirm and protect the right of our students and teachers to participate in this honored American tradition.