Alma Adams Resolution Celebrates Anniversary of 1890s Land Grant HBCUs

Below is a press release from North Carolina Congresswoman Alma Adams.

WASHINGTON, DC (August 30, 2023) – Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) introduced a resolution “expressing the sense of Congress that August 30, 2023, be observed as the 133rd anniversary of the 1890 Institutions.” The 1890s are 19 Historically Black land-grant Universities that were established by the Second Morrill Act of 1890.

A copy of the resolution is available here.

“1890s Land Grant Universities, like all Historically Black Colleges and Universities, have opened doors of opportunity for millions of students over the past 133 years,” said Congresswoman Adams, founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. “These institutions are more than universities: they’re the cornerstones of communities both urban and rural. This success has come even though 1890s haven’t benefitted from the same resources as other land-grant universities.”

“However, our advocacy for the 1890 Institutions as well as HBCUs in general is making a difference. As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, I work to make sure we continue to include 1890 researchers and students in the important work of the Committee. Their importance goes far beyond Agriculture as the 1890s are also leaders in research,” Adams continued.

“As a proud 1890s graduate, I am honored to introduce this resolution celebrating the 133rd anniversary of our dear universities, and celebrate their great work: past, present, and future,” Adams concluded.

The resolution is cosponsored by Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Don Davis (NC-01), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02), Emanual Cleaver (MO-05), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04).

The resolution is also endorsed by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the 1890s Universities Foundation.

Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Country) and serves as a Senior Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, the committee of jurisdiction for the Morrill Acts. Additionally, she serves on the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. In 2015, Rep. Adams co-founded the first Bipartisan HBCU Caucus in Congress. She is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, the largest of the 1890s institutions.