NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New York City corporations, their employees and historically Black college and university (HBCU) advocates are scheduled to participate in the New York UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Walk for Education on Thursday, Sept. 27.
With the recent Supreme Court rulings on Affirmative Action and student debt—two critical issues facing students of color—supporting the work of HBCUs has become even more crucial to empowering students to pursue their educational and career endeavors.
HBCUs represent only 3% of all colleges in the nation yet produce 15% of all bachelor's degrees earned by African Americans annually. They produce 50% of African American doctors and lawyers and account for 19% of all STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) degrees earned by African Americans.
The concept for this year’s New York UNCF Walk for Education is unlike traditional walk events. Corporations and groups are registering teams of five members each with a goal of raising $1,000 or more to support HBCUs and their students. Participating teams can choose to walk from their office or a location of choice to a central rallying event at 5:30 p.m. for all participants at the Standard High Line Hotel in Chelsea. During the celebratory reception, DJ Jon Quick will be playing some favorites while New York City’s corporate community and HBCU advocates gather in solidarity with UNCF, HBCUs and students of color.
Diego Aviles, vice president, Northeast Division, UNCF, said, “As companies look for ways to build social capital among their employees, we thought this was an innovative approach for corporations to engage their employees for a purposeful team building activity while uplifting our nation’s HBCUs and supporting their students. We’re grateful to the many companies and groups who have already signed up to stand with UNCF.”
To date, the New York UNCF Walk for Education has the commitment of 20 companies, 33 teams and 165 walkers. Sponsors include Colgate-Palmolive Company at the national master’s level, Wells Fargo at the local presenting level, Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation at the local doctorate level, Taylor at the local master’s level, and Madison Square Garden Entertainment at the local bachelor’s level.
Registration for the UNCF New York Walk for Education is quickly reaching its capacity of 200 participants. To learn more or to participate, please contact Warren.Williams@UNCF.org or 2023 UNCF Walk for Education - New York.
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
