Three of Georgia’s Democratic members of Congress visited the Atlanta University Center Friday to announce funds from the American Rescue Plan would soon come to some of Atlanta’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Reps. Hank Johnson and Nikema Williams joined Sen. Jon Ossoff on the lawn at Clark Atlanta University in front of a bust of civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois.
Ossoff told school officials and students they’ll soon receive millions from the American Rescue Plan recently passed by Congress. Clark Atlanta University will get $16.4 million. Morehouse college is set to receive $7.8 million. Spelman will get $7.4 million. The ARP has allocated almost $400,000 to Morehouse School of Medicine.
“HBCUs provide a vital service-not just to the Black community here in Georgia and across the country but to the nation and to the entire world,” Ossoff said.
Schools have some discretion when it comes to spending the money, but half of it has to go directly to helping students.
In addition to public aid, some HBCUs have benefited from private donations during the pandemic. Netflix donated $40 million dollars each to Morehouse and Spelman. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $20 million each to those two schools and $15 million to Clark Atlanta.