White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

On April 23, 2025, President Trump issued the executive order White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to strengthen the role of HBCUs in American higher education and economic development. The order re-establishes a White House Initiative on HBCUs, led by an Executive Director, to expand their capacity to deliver high-quality education, build partnerships, and provide students with professional development opportunities in key industries. The Initiative focuses on increasing private-sector and philanthropic support for HBCUs, improving infrastructure, and enhancing workforce readiness among HBCU students. It will also promote innovation, research, and best practices while improving HBCUs’ access to federal funding. The order establishes an annual White House HBCU Summit and reinstates a Presidential Board of Advisors to guide the administration’s work. The executive order revokes a 2021 order by President Biden and disbands an EPA advisory council, shifting priorities toward institutional development, career readiness, and aligning HBCUs more closely with national economic and workforce goals.