The next generation of Black journalists said a dream opportunity spending a day as a White House correspondent gave them the knowledge and motivation to become successful reporters and tackle news across America.
Students representing 47 historically Black colleges and universities were invited to an exclusive White House news briefing last week with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Students who attended in person and virtually questioned Harris and other White House officials about HBCU funding, policies put in place to ensure international students at Black colleges aren’t left behind and issues concerning their communities.
Kalia Qawiy, 23, an aspiring TV news anchor at Albany State University in Georgia, asked White House officials how smaller Black universities can remain relevant in the ever-changing college landscape.
The preparation that went into her question is what she believes will take her journalistic career to new heights down the road.
“I had to figure out how to present it,” Qawiy said about the work she put into posing questions to high-ranking officials.
“It’s very important for us to get our voices heard,” said Qawiy, who took an interest in journalism because she enjoys getting information no one else has yet.
Kyla Hubbard, the editor-in-chief of her campus paper, The Famuan, at Florida A&M University, wanted to know what the White House could do to prevent Florida legislators from targeting diversity and inclusion funding at HBCUs.
White House officials responded by stressing that Florida residents should always exercise their right to vote in local and state elections to ensure HBCUs get their fair share of state funding.
The Biden administration made a historic investment in HBCUs at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic through the American Rescue Plan and other pandemic relief funds, which provided nearly $3.7 billion to the schools. In announcing the funding in 2021, officials cited disparities in resources and opportunities and the…
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