U.S. Department of State Honors 19 Colleges and Universities as Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders

September 10, 2024 — The U.S. Department of State recognizes 19 Historically Blacks Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders for their notable engagement with the Fulbright Program during the 2023-2024 academic year. The Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders initiative celebrates Fulbright’s partnership with HBCUs and encourages administrators, faculty and students to participate in the Fulbright Program.  It also highlights HBCUs as a destination for international students and scholars.

The 19 HBCU Institutional Leaders are:

Alcorn State University (Mississippi)
Bennett College (North Carolina)
Fayetteville State University (North Carolina)
Florida A&M University (Florida)
Howard University (District of Columbia)
Huston-Tillotson University (Texas)
Jackson State University (Mississippi)
Jarvis Christian University (Texas)
LeMoyne-Owen College (Tennessee)
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Mississippi Valley State University (Mississippi)
Morgan State University (Maryland)
North Carolina A&T State University (North Carolina)
North Carolina Central University (North Carolina)
Prairie View A&M University (Texas)
Spelman College (Georgia)
Tennessee State University (Tennessee)
Virginia State University (Virginia)
Xavier University of Louisiana (Louisiana)

The announcement of the 2024 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders was made on September 10, 2024 in advance of the 2024 Annual National HBCU Week Conference hosted by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken congratulated each Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader, saying this designation “is a testament to your institution’s dedication to promoting global engagement and international understanding.”

“The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Program are committed to reflecting the full diversity of the United States,” said Scott Weinhold, Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.  He emphasized that HBCU engagement with the Fulbright Program “builds meaningful relationships between communities and people around the world.”

Howard University president Dr. Ben Vinson III shared, “Our Fulbrighters return to the Howard community with fresh insights, a deepened cultural understanding, and a broadened worldview, laying the foundation for their personal and professional growth. Their work has an enduring and positive impact on communities and institutions, at home and abroad.”

As the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program implements a wide range of initiatives to ensure that its participants reflect the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad.  In addition to its partnerships with HBCUs, the Fulbright Program works with Diversity Abroad, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, UNCF, and the White House Initiative on HBCUs, among others.

Learn more about the Fulbright Program at https://fulbrightprogram.org.

Contact: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, eca-press@state.gov