Historically Black Virginia Union University, the Virginia Hispanic Foundation, and the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have signed a historic resolution to “jointly promote education to those who are considered socially and economically disadvantaged.”
Specifically, the resolution calls for an exclusive, five-year relationship to enhance, promote, create and develop educational opportunities, economic programs, cross-cultural understanding, diversity inclusion initiatives, and cultural engagement advocacy for the Hispanic and African American communities at large, as well as to assist socially and economically disadvantaged students acquire a strong educational foundation.
Hakim Lucas, the 13th president of Virginia Union University, stated that “this historic resolution between these institutions serves to create unprecedented educational and other opportunities for Virginia’s Black and Hispanic students.”
Dr. Lucas, who became president of Virginia Union in 2017, earned a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, a master’s degree in education from Tufts University in Massachusetts, and a master of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York. President Lucas earned his doctoral degree in education from Fordham University in New York.
According to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education, Virginia Union University enrolls about 1,200 undergraduate students and more than 350 graduate students. Hispanics make up only 1 percent of the undergraduate student body.
The misguided President at VUU Hakim Lucas and other administrators should be duly ashamed of themselves for this dimwitted initiative.What VUU need to significantly increase their marketing to native born Black American high school students in northern major cities from Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, NYC, Newark, Philly, Toledo, and Pittsburgh. As a result, you will not have to recruit people from other nations to VUU. More important, if Hakim and other would place more time, energy, and resources on recruitment, retention, and graduation rates as compared to Homecoming and the CIAA then more Black high school students will be enrolling. Political correctness will not solve this problem at VUU.