The UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is asking the public for help to pass historic multi-million dollar legislation that would undergird infrastructure projects at HBCUs across the nation.  The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, which already has significant support from bi-partisan members of Congress, could receive a boost to passage as members of the general public get involved.

If passed, the Act will “establish the largest federal grant program for Historically Black College and University infrastructure in American history,” according to the UNCF.

“This isn’t just an organization lobbying the Congress and the administration. This is a campaign, and we need everyone to be involved,” said UNCF Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs Lodriguez Murray, in a Trice Edney News Wire interview.

Murray is leading the campaign. “We need them to go to our website, <UNCF.org/IGNITE>. Go there. Click, ‘write your representative’ and in less than 15 seconds they’ll be able to send a letter to their House of Representative member, their congressman or congresswoman. And then they’ll be able to send two letters, one to each of their two U.S senators. And they’ll be able to send a letter to the White House in support of this bill. And this is not just for HBCU students and graduates. It’s for everyone who feels a stake of ownership in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).”

According to a UNCF news release: “IGNITE stands for Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for HBCU Excellence. If enacted, the legislation would create a competitive federal grant program through the U.S. Department of Education to fund campus modernization, deferred maintenance, broadband expansion, campus safety upgrades and the development of AI and workforce innovation hubs at HBCUs. The bill would also authorize repayment of nearly $300 million in outstanding HBCU capital financing loans, providing immediate debt relief to institutions across the country.”

Introduced in both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support, the bill is led by Rep. French Hill (R-Ariz.), Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chairs of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus.

Himself a first-generation HBCU graduate (from Morehouse College in Atlanta) Murray is passionate about this campaign, which could bring millions of dollars to universities which have struggled to get a fair share of funding while giving much to America.

“For more than 180 years, HBCUs have educated generations of students and built the foundation of Black America’s professional class, often with far fewer resources than their peer institutions,” according to the UNCF news release. “Today, HBCUs educate nearly 300,000 students annually, generate $16.5 billion in annual economic impact, support more than 136,000 jobs nationwide and produce approximately 17% of all bachelor’s degrees earned by African Americans. Nearly 70% of HBCU students are Pell Grant eligible. Despite this record, approximately 84% of HBCUs remain underfunded, with a collective infrastructure deficit exceeding $13 billion.”

According to UNCF President/CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax, in a statement: “The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act has the potential to be a transformative investment in HBCUs and the students who depend on them. For generations, HBCUs have nurtured extraordinary talent, yet they have long struggled with unequal access to funding and modern infrastructure. This legislation could reverse those adverse circumstances by providing targeted resources that strengthen both research excellence and campus infrastructure, ensuring HBCUs have the tools to lead in a rapidly changing world.”

Murray is no stranger to Congress, having started on Capitol Hill with the now late Rep. Charlie W. Norwood, Jr. (R-Ga.). And he has a track record of successfully raising money for HBCUs.

“I represented HBCUs for a dozen years before coming to UNCF. And I’ve had the opportunity to be probably the first UNCF scholarship recipient to become an executive of this organization at the senior vice president level,” he said.

In 2019, Murray’s advocacy had a major hand in the passage of The FUTURE Act (Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education), which “permanently secures $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs),” according to the website of Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), also a sponsor of that bi-partisan bill.

Murray’s passion for HBCUs is deeply personal. As he shakes hands on Capitol Hill, he not only represents UNCF, but, like many HBCU graduates, he proudly hails from a family that sent him forth as its first college graduate. He was raised, in part, by his grandfather who was unable to read and would ask him to read street signs for him.

“I thought he was just, you know, proud of his grandson.” He went from that upbringing to becoming the first in his generation to graduate high school and then on to Morehouse: ‘my college of choice.’”

A part of the HBCU community, he not only learned the financial difficulties faced by the students, but also the hardships of the colleges themselves.

“A 2018 Government Accountability Office report documented extensive capital project needs across HBCU campuses and significant structural barriers to accessing financing for modernization,” the UNCF reports. “This year, Congress is drafting the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills—a critical window to advance federal investment in HBCUs. UNCF has submitted formal appropriations requests across multiple subcommittees including Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce, Justice, Science, Defense, Interior and Housing and Urban Development.”

“HBCUs have been doing extraordinary work for over 180 years with whatever they had,” Murray said. “The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act is the moment we match their proven strength with the investment they have always deserved. We are calling on the entire HBCU community (students, alumni, educators, parents, elected officials and partners) to make their voices heard. Congress needs to know that this community is behind this legislation and ready for them to act.”