TSU holds rally with prominent lawyer about underfunded HBCUs
It’s unclear at this time if attorney Ben Crump is considering filing legal action against the state on behalf of TSU.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A rally will be held at Tennessee State University Tuesday afternoon after federal agencies discovered Historic Black Colleges and Universities are underfunded by billions.
Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump will meet with students at the university to discuss the finding that HBCUs were underfunded by states by more than $12 billion. Tennessee State University was underfunded by more than $2.1 billion and ranked as the most underfunded university, according to federal agencies.
“Show us Tennessee, show us equality matters. Show us that you’re going to right this wrong,” Crump said to students and alumni Tuesday.
The U.S. Secretary of Education and the U.S. The Secretary of Agriculture sent letters to 16 governors across the nation showcasing the disparity in funding between land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities compared to their non-HBCU land-grant peers.
“I was really, really shocked because we have faced a lot of public scrutiny about our campus and how it looks, and the housing crisis and all those things, so it was shocking to see that we were actually owed state money,” Student Government Association member, Trey Cunningham, said.
TSU President Glenda Glover said she’s glad the federal agencies are taking steps to help try to repay land grant institutions. The report said money is owed to more than a dozen HBCUs across the country. It’s unclear at this time if Crump is considering filing legal action against the state on behalf of TSU.
A rally Tuesday on TSU’s campus was scheduled for 5 p.m. with a town hall meeting with Crump afterward at 6 p.m.
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