Interview with Exec. Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs Dr. Dietra Trent

As Secretary of Education for the state of Virginia, Dr. Dietra Trent had a lot of colleges, universities, and departments underneath her. All of those colleges and universities were independent, with no system tying them together. At the end of the day, Dr. Trent was working with the governor to convey his vision for higher education, while helping agencies to see how they fit into that vision. She’s since transitioned into the role of Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). While her focus has narrowed, her impact has not.  Dr. Trent uses her bully pulpit not as a way to hammer her ideas, but as a way to collaborate with others to deliver on behalf of HBCUs. Working with 37 agencies, Dr. Trent finds opportunities for the advancement of HBCUs as a whole.

With a hundred plus colleges and universities relying on her, Dr. Trent ca not solve every issue for everyone, but instead must pick 2 or 3 issues that will move the needle forward for all of them. With HBCUs having their moment following George Floyd, Dr. Trent is working to turn that momentum into a movement. HBCUs have been historically underfunded and underappreciated. They’ve been around for a long time, with the first HBCU being established 28 years before slavery ended. In that time, they’ve produced a lot of leaders, with 85% of federal judges, 75% of MDs and dentists, and over 50% of teachers and engineers coming from HBCUs. With a lot of universities showing a decline in applicants, HBCUs are seeing an incline. Dr. Trent believes this is because people not only want a quality education, but they want one where they will be nurtured for who they are.

So, why is it that in 2018, all 101 HBCUs combined received less than $400million in federal funding, while John Hopkins received $2.6billion? It’s not just about money, though. Dr. Trent would like to see support through access to resources. If philanthropists have expertise in things like systems or going after grants, that knowledge could put HBCUs in a position to go after more research dollars. Dr. Trent says HBCUs have a lot of catching up to do with things that predominantly white schools take for granted. It’s truly amazing how much they do with so little.

What You’ll Learn:

• The differences between working for the state and the federal government.
• How philanthropists can support HBCUs outside of money.
• What it really means to support black students.
• And much more!

Favorite Quote:

“Leadership is not about title or position; rather, it's about posture.  And it's only in assuming a posture to serve can you truly lead others to bring their best.”

-Dr. Dietra Trent