{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://adams.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/white-house-finally-picks-hbcu-initiative-head", "WHITE HOUSE FINALLY PICKS HBCU INITIATIVE HEAD", "2017-09-29", "2017", "2017-09", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "Alma Adams", "A000370", "adams.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Johnathan Holifield, a consulting firm co-founder and former National Football League player, was named Monday to lead the Trump administration\u2019s initiative on historically Black colleges and universities.\nHolifield will be executive director of an effort that\u2019s been stalled since President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February intended as a powerful statement that he viewed the health and well-being of the institutions as a priority.\nHe told HBCU leaders and advocates gathered 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\u2019s competitiveness. He officially begins work Oct. 2.\nMixed reaction  \u201cThere 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,\u201d he told the summit held on the White House grounds at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.\nHBCU advocates\u2019 reaction to the appointment was mixed.\nJohnny C. Taylor Jr., president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, said Holifield \u201chas more than 20 years of multidisciplinary business and government experience, which will help lead the critical work of developing a robust policy and budgetary agenda to positively impact HBCUs.\u201d\nThe fund represents 47 publicly funded HBCUs.\n\u2018A first step\u2019  \n\tBut Marybeth Gasman, director of the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions at the University of Pennsylvania, questioned Holifield\u2019s qualifications and Trump\u2019s commitment to HBCUs.\n\u201cI have some concerns that Holifield doesn\u2019t have an HBCU experience,\u201d she said. \u201cHe does have experience working across a few organizations and his self-published book is focused on inclusiveness. I wish him the best.\u201d\nRep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and a critic of Trump\u2019s HBCU effort, called the appointment of Holifield a \u201cfirst step for the White House as they strive to repair their relationship with HBCU leaders and members of Congress.\u201d\nShe extended an invitation to Holifield to come to Capitol Hill \u201cto learn more about the (HBCU caucus) and our legislative priorities,\u201d said Adams, who is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.\nSlow follow through  \n\tTrump vowed to outdo the nation\u2019s first Black president, Barack Obama, in supporting the nation\u2019s historically Black colleges when he signed the executive order. It placed oversight of the schools directly in the White House. But Black college leaders were dismayed after the administration failed to quickly follow through.\nSeveral HBCU leaders and lawmakers, including members of the Black caucus, the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall fund, called for the White House to postpone this week\u2019s event.\nDirector\u2019s experience  \n\tTraditionally, the executive director has helped plan the meetings.\nHolifield is the author of \u201cThe Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness,\u201d a 2017 book that explains how demographics and innovation can help boost the nation\u2019s economy.\nA graduate of the West Virginia University and the University of Cincinnati\u2019s colleges of law and education, Holifield co-founded ScaleUp Partners in 2011. Its website describes the consulting firm as providing \u201cexperienced insight and expertise to unleash a diverse pipeline of qualified workforce and entrepreneurial talent.\u201d\nHolifield was a star running back at West Virginia University, scoring 14 touchdowns and collecting 1,808 yards from 1983 to 1986. He played three games for the NFL\u2019s Cincinnati Bengals in 1989.\n300,000 students  \n\tHBCUs are any Black college or university established before 1964 with the principal mission of educating African-American students.\nCollectively, they enroll nearly 300,000 students and receive money from the federal government through grants, contracts, appropriations and financial aid.\nThey received $4.7 billion in federal financial assistance in 2013, according to the latest report available. That sum accounted for 2.8 percent of federal dollars awarded to all higher education institutions.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://adams.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/white-house-finally-picks-hbcu-initiative-head"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9418330155313015, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}