AM850.com

On Friday President Barack Obama signed an executive order strengthening the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The president also proposed 98 million dollars for HBCUs as part of the Department of Education budget. Dean of Social Sciences at Bethune-Cookman University, an historically black university, Dorcas McCoy says over 50 percent of african american professionals graduate from HBCUs. She says this trend is particularly prevalent in the math, science and education fields. McCoy says HBCUs offer a family environment that helps african americans and other minorities succeed . To be qualified as an HBCU an institution must have been established prior to 1964. McCoy says race relations have changed since many HBCUs were founded and in that time, society has changed from merely tolerating diversity to celebrating it. She says HBCUs tend to be more diverse than traditional colleges. McCoys says the president's focus on pell grants will have a great impact in allowing more african americans to recieve a higher education.