President Barack Obama signs an executive order for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the East Room of the White House (White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Dr. Wayne Joseph Riley
Special to the Tri-State Defender

Dr. Wayne Joseph Riley

Dr. Wayne Joseph Riley is the 10th President and Chief Executive Officer of Meharry Medical College in Nashville. He began his tenure on Jan. 1, 2007.

I was honored to be one of 50 presidents and chancellors invited to attend the signing ceremony for President Obama’s Executive Order to strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The event was held in the State Room of the White House and was attended by several members of Congress.  

It was a surreal experience. As we entered from the East Wing and made our way to the Grand Foyer of the historic White House, we were greeted by the sounds of the Virginia State University marching band drum corp. They were swaying and playing under the great seal of the President of the United States, which was emblazoned on the wall above the entrance to the East Room. This was a historic moment, one that even President Obama noted when he said that as far as anyone at the White House could remember, this was the first time that the sounds of a “drum line” echoed through the walls of the White House – the most famous house in the nation!

On a stage surrounded by a select group of students and leaders from our nation’s HBCUs, the President spoke movingly of the importance of HBCUs in expanding educational opportunities to our society and their contributions to the progress we’ve made as a nation. President Obama reminded us that it was from these remarkable institutions of higher learning that a young Baltimore prankster rose to become a Supreme Court Justice (Thurgood Marshall – Lincoln University of Pennsylvania), a broadcaster with a funny first name rose to become a media giant (Oprah Winfrey –Tennessee State University) and a young Montgomery minister, became the leader of the civil rights movement  (Martin Luther King Jr. – Morehouse College).  He further noted that while some can question the need for such colleges going forward, the facts are indisputable that these very special institutions continue to advance the cause of educational opportunity.  

By signing the Executive Order, which directs all federal agencies to expand their individual efforts to foster partnerships and collaborations to increase opportunities for HBCUs, President Obama is continuing, with renewed vigor, the custom of every president since President Jimmy Carter.  

In briefings held before the ceremony, the administration highlighted the call for increased federal funding in the President’s proposed budget, which will enhance programs important to all HBCUs such as: additional funding of the Title III funding program for HBCUs; the Historically Black Graduate Institution (HBGI) programs; improvements to federal financial aid and other initiatives that will assist thousands of students attending HBCUs in their matriculation and graduation. In addition, funds are slated to be added to the HBCU Capital financing program to assist these institutions in enhancing their campus buildings and infrastructure to provide the best possible learning environment for students.

As I reflected on the day and its meaning, I was filled with a sense of pride when I realized that the President of the United States, a black man of refinement, culture and  immense intellect, took time to pause – in spite of the raging debates on the future of our nation’s health care system, advancing our national security, fighting terrorism of all stripes and taking affirmative steps to repair our wounded economy –  to recognize the numerous contributions of institutions like mine, Meharry Medical College, which are doing the critical work of educating a new generation of leaders who will take up the mantle of progress in the years ahead.   

It was an extraordinary day and I was pleased to represent each and every Meharrian at the White House.