President Biden has appointed Delaware State University President Tony Allen, as chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The board was established by the Carter Administration in 1980, to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide high-quality education to their students and to serve as engines of opportunity. As chair, Dr. Allen will oversee the new White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities that was authorized by the President’s Executive Order of September 3.
Dr. Allen was appointed president of Delaware State University in 2020 after serving as provost for nearly three years. Before coming to Delaware State, Dr. Allen was head of the corporate reputation group for Bank of America. He is the former executive vice president of MBNA, the large banking and credit card company. Dr. Allen also served as a speechwriter and assistant to Joe Biden and was the founding president of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League.
Dr. Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Ph.D. in urban affairs and public policy from the University of Delaware. He also earned a master of public administration degree at Baruch College of the City University of New York.
The HBCU Advisory Board is nothing but a cabal of status quo so-called Black administrator’s and academics. Somebody needs to substantively explain the tangible outcomes of this board as compared to the usual drive by photo shoot in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
For those who dissent, I challenge you to tell everyone what is your current budget and actual authority or impact you have on specific funding for HBCUs? Further, how does the budget for the HBCU Advisory Board compare during the Obama, Trump and now racist Biden administration?
Last, why don’t the HBCU Advisory Board let the entire HBCU community know about their work? In my view, whose ever in charge of marketing for the HBCU Advisory Board, they should be immediately relieved of their duties for marketing malfeasance.