As part of President Trump’s executive order establishing the White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services (HHS) has launched the Roy Wilkins Fellowship program for students at historically Black colleges and universities interested in pursuing careers in public service.
The new program will provide paid fellowships for students in the HHS Office of the Secretary. The initiative recognizes the late Roy Wilkins, a leader with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Wilkins was a civil rights activist and advocate for the advancement of African Americans in the U.S. military.
In addition to the Roy Wilkins Fellowship, HHS’s operating divisions, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, will host career fair days at HBCUs. These events are designed to provide students with professional development opportunities in technology, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and other high-growth industries.
“HBCUs have produced generations of doctors, scientists, and public health leaders who serve their communities with skill and purpose,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We want to strengthen that legacy. HHS will work side by side with HBCU students and faculty to meaningfully support research that improves health outcomes across the country.”
