{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://clyburn.house.gov/press-release/hbcus-are-america%E2%80%99s-national-treasures", "HBCUs are Americas National Treasures", "2016-10-26", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "SC", "James Clyburn", "C000537", "clyburn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - U.S. House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (SC) published the following op-ed on the\u00a0Diverse Issues In Higher Education today:\nThe legacy of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is one of significant courage and\u00a0steadfast determination.\u00a0HBCUs are among America\u2019s national treasures that must be preserved and protected for future generations.\nHBCUs are some of the most important historic educational institutions in our country.\u00a0Many of them have buildings and sites on their campuses that have existed for over a century. Unfortunately, many of the historic buildings and sites on these campuses have deteriorated over the years and are at risk of being lost completely if not preserved and protected.\nIn 1998, at the request of the Congressional Black Caucus, the U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed 103 HBCU campuses to identify the historically significant sites on these campuses and project the cost of restoring and preserving these properties.\u00a0The GAO identified 712 historic buildings and sites, and projected a cost of $755 million to restore and preserve them.\u00a0 Each of these sites has national significance to American history, and I believe we have an obligation to be stewards of these cultural treasures.\nCongress first authorized grants to HBCUs for historic preservation in 1996. In 2003, Congress expanded the program and authorized $10 million annually for five years.\u00a0Last month, the House passed legislation to extend that authorization at the same level for an additional seven years.\u00a0These historic preservation grants have had transformative effects on HBCU campuses across the country.\nArnett Hall at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, was designed by an African American architect and constructed by the university students themselves in 1891. Before being restored, Arnett Hall had been boarded up for nearly 40 years. Testifying before the Committee on Natural Resources earlier this year, Claflin University\u2019s President, Dr. Henry Tisdale spoke of the tremendous impact the restorations of Ministers and Tingley Halls have had on his institution.\nLast June, Allen University rededicated the historic Chappelle Auditorium on campus, which was painstakingly restored thanks to funding from this program.\u00a0Originally built in 1925, this building was central to the cultural life of African Americans in South Carolina for generations.\n\tIn 1947, Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine attended an NAACP event at Chappelle Auditorium that inspired him to organize Black families in Clarendon County to petition their school district to provide buses for black students who, at the time, were forced to make a daily walk of 9.4 miles to school.\u00a0This case,\u00a0Briggs v. Elliot, precipitated the frontal attack on segregation in the country and was later combined with four other cases that became\u00a0Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas\u00a0 at the U.S. Supreme Court.\u00a0Overturning the \u201cseparate but equal\u201d fallacy,\u00a0Brown\u00a0ended legal segregation throughout America.\n\tHistoric buildings and sites at 59 HBCUs in 20 states have benefitted from this program.\u00a0However, the threat to the historic legacy of HBCUs persists. Despite the need, since 1996, only $60 million in federal support has been provided through the HBCU Historic Preservation Program.\u00a0 Moreover, since 2009, no dedicated federal support has been provided at all for this purpose. Thus, the federal government\u2019s investment to date represents a small share of the documented need.\n\tThe House-passed legislation will renew our nation\u2019s commitment to the stewardship of this critical aspect of American history. When the Senate returns after the elections, it must pass legislation to provide at least $5 million for HBCU Historic Preservation.\n\tUNCF has long said that \u201ca mind is a terrible thing to waste.\u201d So too, our nation must not let the historic legacy of HBCUs go to waste. We urge Congress to preserve HBCUs, America\u2019s national treasures, by funding the HBCU Historic Preservation Program.\nClick here to see the article on the Diverse Issues In Higher Education website.", 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": ["http://clyburn.house.gov/press-release/hbcus-are-america%E2%80%99s-national-treasures"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.86074392311275, "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"}