Access to proper education makes a difference in a young person’s life. It can change the trajectory for themselves and society—the advancement of their minds leads to the advancement of the world in every aspect. For Black and Brown youth, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) present an opportunity to extend their education, gain cultural awareness, learn community building, and affect the world in spaces that were once banned or had limited access. HBCU alums have been on record participating in and forging the advancement of society through their advocacy, knowledge, ingenuity, and overcoming societal barriers to give the youth, who came after them, better opportunities. Stacey Lee Spratt is an example of ‘paying it forward.’
Spratt wears multiple hats as she is a philanthropist, a successful business owner, a leader, and a proud alumni of Clark Atlanta University (CAU). “The importance of HBCUs is huge as they emphasize community, education, and creating a thriving space for Black and Brown students,” Spratt said as she spoke on the impact HBCUs can have. “It’s important that we keep encouraging an educational space for Black students to thrive and provide them the resources needed to succeed in college and post-graduation.”
Spratt grew up in a college-encouraged household as both her parents attended Clark Atlanta University, one of her brothers attended Morehouse, and the other attended Howard, which influenced her college decision to attend an HBCU. One of the lessons she took away from college is the CAU’s motto, “Find A Way, Or Make One,” which is not only a principle she follows in her own life but is a motto that describes Black history. “This motto has lived with me since I stepped on campus at 18. I’ve lived by this motto well into my 40s and I ponder on it every day.” Spratt credits this motto for getting her through difficult times in her adulthood as it creates an expectation that she has to rise to consistently.
With Spratt knowing the challenges young adults can face, she has steadily increased her presence in the philanthropist space and on kids’ opportunities to attend college. She is the Director of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. The organization supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programming. It also supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3 percent of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 5 percent of master’s degrees, 10 percent of doctoral degrees, and 19 percent of all STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics) degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarships, internships and fellowships, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs.
“One thing we believe at UNCF is not only getting students to college but, through college,” Spratt said. “It’s so important for our youth to receive quality education, and UNCF has been on a mission to accomplish that goal for the last 80 years.” UNCF was founded in 1944 to help more African American students attend and graduate from college. They have helped over 500,000 students attain college degrees, awarded 11 Million dollars in scholarships to students, and have 400 UNCF programs that award 10,000+ scholarships yearly. UNCF recipients graduate at a rate of 70 percent, 9 points higher than the national average for four-year college students.
Earlier this year, UNCF received a 100 million dollar grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support a capital campaign created in part to boost endowments for historically Black colleges and universities.
Marc Barnes, senior vice president of UNCF’s capital campaign, said the Lilly Endowment’s grant will change the financial trajectory of many HBCUs for many years to come. “Our commitment is to generate philanthropic funding to increase scholarships, strengthen HBCUs, raise graduation rates, ensure greater economic mobility, and grow endowments at all 37 member HBCUs,” Barnes said in a statement.
Spratt acknowledges that paying it forward is the saving grace for the youth because some don’t have a foundation to stand and need alums and mentors in the community to be their stepping stones to progress in life. “ To whom much is giving, much is tested, and it is important to give back and make sure the people coming behind us have everything they need to succeed.” Spratt is enlightened and ready to extend an olive branch to Black youth on the Empower Me Tour.
The UNCF Empower Me Tour (EMT) empowers a movement among young people, motivating them toward academic excellence, personal responsibility, and fiscal health through relevant program content and community engagement. EMT engages young people at crucial life stages through college readiness, career success, and financial literacy.
The tour is annual and visits multiple cities, stopping in Los Angeles this past Friday, Dec. 6, at the Hyatt Hotel near LAX. The tour targets seniors and juniors to inform them about HBCUs and provide scholarship information to make the transition to college smoother. “ We want them to understand that you can attend HBCUs for free or minimal debt and aren’t tied to staying in Los Angeles. Some students look at their GPA and think it’s impossible, but it very much is.” Spratt said. To better help students see representation, UNCF proactively brings HBCU alumni from their respective city to talk to the students about their experience moving out of LA and attending an HBCU.
The 2024 Empower Me tour has already made stops in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and ends in Memphis. There are more than 30 HBCU reps at each stop, offering full and partial scholarships to graduating seniors, with some colleges including Clark Atlanta, Bethune-Cookman, Morehouse, Morris, and many more. The UNCF Empower Me Tour offered over 14.5 million dollars in scholarships in 2023.
“Graduating debt-free is the goal, and UNCF makes that goal possible with all the opportunities they provide students,” Spratt said. “Every year, we offer as many students free education and scholarships as possible. If we can top last year’s number, we will.”
Spratt businesses have hired over 100 HBCU graduates and continue to be an example of somebody who wants to plant seeds in young Black men and women and be a mentor. “It is important for our youth to consistently see a Black person thriving in a business they want to be in. We need to be proactive and intentional in our actions. We need to be a mirror for our young people to look at as they continue to develop and strive for what they want.”
The UNCF Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), funded by Lilly Endowment, is a $50 million investment over seven years that helps four-year HBCUs strengthen institutional career placement outcomes, to increase the number of graduates who immediately transition to meaningful jobs in their chosen fields.
UNCF manages a competitive grant-making process to award both planning and implementation of grants to institutions, assisting students in achieving a better return on their investment through meaningful employment immediately after graduation. To learn more about UNCF, the Empower Me tour, or Spratt visit WWW. UNCF.org
