News and Record Greensboro September 26, 2018 N.C. A&T's chancellor and Bennett's president named to White House HBCU board Two local higher education leaders have been appointed by President Donald Trump to a panel that advises the federal government on issues important to historically black colleges. N.C. A&T Chancellor Harold Martin<https://www.ncat.edu/about/leadership/chancellor/biography.html> and Bennett College President Phyllis Worthy Dawkins<http://www.bennett.edu/administration/president/> are among 13 new members named to the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The appointments were announced Friday<https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-appoint-personnel-key-administration-posts-20/>. Martin is an A&T graduate who served as chancellor at Winston-Salem State University before he was named to lead A&T in 2009. Dawkins has been Bennett's president since 2017 after serving as interim president for a year. In a statement<https://www.ncat.edu/news/2018/09/statement-martin-hbcu-board.html>, Martin said the panel supports "higher education institutions that have played vital roles in the lives of millions of students and families, in countless communities and in the success of our nation and economy. Today, HBCUs need the advocacy and leadership of this advisory panel more than ever." Dawkins said in a statement<http://www.bennett.edu/news/bennett-college-president-appointed-to-prestigious-hbcu-advisory-board-by-president-donald-j-trump/> that she was "honored" to be chosen. Like the nation's other historically black colleges, she added, "Bennett College ... has some needs that I am confident can be properly addressed by the federal government. I am glad that Bennett College was afforded the chance to have a seat at the table for this very important advisory board." The board exists to increase participation of historically black colleges in federal programs and boost private-sector involvement in these schools. Its chairman is Johnny C. Taylor Jr.<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-makes-announcement-on-hbcus/>, a former chief executive officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund<https://www.tmcf.org/>, an organization that supports public HBCUs. Traditionally, members of the president's advisory board have been college presidents, business leaders, activists and experts in higher education. In one of his first acts as president, Trump moved an HBCU initiative - which includes the HBCU advisory board - from the U.S. Department of Education to a more visible spot at the White House. Though some people have criticized<https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-vowed-prioritize-black-schools-jurys-critics/story?id=53452981> Trump's embrace of black colleges as a series of photo ops and complained about a lack of diversity in the White House, the federal government during Trump's tenure has forgiven or deferred some federal loans made to HBCUs and once again made Pell Grants available year-round - something historically black colleges have lobbied for. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. The 8th HBCU Library Alliance Membership Meeting is scheduled at the Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library (GA) on Sunday through Tuesday, October 7-9. Click here<http://www.hbculibraries.org/meeting-2018-info.html> for registration and session details. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/