Dr. Alma Adams, US Representative to give commencement address at Allen University
Columbia, SC – 04/09/2021 - Alma Adams, US Representative representing the 12th Congressional District of North Carolina and avid HBCU supporter, will address the members of the class of 2021, and their families, at Allen University’s commencement exercises on Saturday, May 8, at 10:30 a.m.
“Dr. Alma Adams’ work as an active advocate of HBCUs is exemplary,” said Dr. Ernest McNealey, president of Allen University. “Throughout her career, she has amplified the voices of a generation of students, empowering them to make a lifelong impact on their communities. Dr. Adams has brought the value that we have always known to the national forefront. As our graduates prepare to launch into the next phase of their lives, I am confident they will be empowered by her work that has impacted them thus far, as she charges them to continue to uphold the good name of HBCUs everywhere they go.”
Adams, who was recently elected to her fourth full term in 2020, is well known for her work with HBCU’s. Her voice has been steadfast in politics and media regarding financial support for HBCUs, black maternal health, workplace protections and more.
“I am honored to join Allen University’s commencement exercises as we celebrate the Class of 2021,” said Congresswoman Adams. “This is a difficult time to be a college student, but I know that our Yellow Jackets are HBCU strong – and they’ve demonstrated that by rising to the challenges presented to them by this pandemic. As an HBCU graduate and later a professor at Bennett College, I know our schools and our students have always overcome adversity. I’m looking forward to celebrating with Allen University students, their families, and the faculty.”
Adams’ signature legislative accomplishment in Congress is the enactment of H.R. 5363, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act that permanently provides funding totaling $225 million a year for all Minority-Serving institutions including $85 million a year for HBCUs. President McNealey has previously explained that, “If you have aspirations to be successful in the field of STEM, your first degree should come from an HBCU. The internal investments in these institutions far exceed anything that one can imagine.”
Allen University will also award Senator John L. Scott, Jr. an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during the commencement exercises. Scott, who has served South Carolina for 28 years, serves as a member of the South Carolina General Assembly representing Senate District 19. He serves on the Senate Finance, Labor Commerce and Industry, Medical Affairs, Rules, and Transportation Committee. Scott has been an advocate for the University’s Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital restoration project, with a special interest in making the Boeing Institute on Civility, located inside the Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital, a hub of interest and community impact in downtown Columbia, SC.
The 2021 commencement exercises will be held on the campus of Allen University.
For more information about Allen University, visit www.allenuniveristy.edu.
Contact
Anika V. Thomas
Allen University, Director of Marketing and Communications
803-376-5717 | acobb@allenuniversity.edu