Supported by Texas State Representative Ron Reynolds (D-Missouri City), students from Texas’ nine historically Black colleges and universities have formed the state’s first HBCU Legislative Caucus, according to an article from the Houston Defender Network.
Participating students hail from Huston-Tilloston University, Jarvis Christian University, Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A&M University, Southwestern Christian College, St. Philip’s College, Texas College, Texas Southern University, and Wiley University.
The bipartisan coalition was formed to advance educational opportunities at Texas’ HBCUs. Additionally, the caucus will open the door for students to receive internships at the Texas Capitol.
One of the caucus’ first initiatives was writing House Bill 3269, which if passed, would establish an education consortium to address funding disparities at Texas HBCUs and advance faculty recruitment, student retention, curriculum development, infrastructure improvements, and research opportunities. The consortium would also focus on hosting civic education events and workshops regarding voter registration and how the Texas government operates.
Representative Reynolds filed the bill on behalf of the student caucus. He told the student group, “History books will remember this moment [and] …these students that were part of the inaugural HBCU Legislative Caucus, the ‘good trouble’ that everyone in this room made to make our society better history.”
