“Dr. Winbush urges citizens committed to justice for Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to call, fax and email their elected representatives and urge them to tell Governor O’Malley to allocate $14 million per year for the next five years to Maryland’s HBCUs.” www.mdelect.net
The Honorable Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland
State House
Annapolis, MD 21401 – 1925
Dear Governor O’Malley:
Martin O’Malley, Governor of the U.S. state of Maryland. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am expressing my deep disappointment in your office not honoring the Legislative Black Caucus of the State of Maryland’s (LBCM) request to fund Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for $70 million over the next five years. This $14 million request per year was denied in this year’s proposed budget and would have gone a long way in showing a good faith effort to settle the $2.1 billion lawsuit involving the State’s history of unequal funding of Maryland’s HBCUs.
Given the residual impact of how this discrimination continues to do educational harm to students enrolled in Maryland’s HBCUs, it is unfathomable why your office saw fit to ignore the request of the LBCM. In my discussions with members of the Caucus, there is anger and frustration among them as to why their proposal was disregarded since their request is a direct investment in Maryland’s future and affects the educational aspirations of Maryland’s African-American students.
I urge your office to honor the LBCM’s request and modify your budget request to help secure the future of Maryland’s HBCUs and the students who attend them.
Sincerely,
Raymond A. Winbush, Ph.D.
Director. Institute for Urban Research
Morgan State University
