The United Negro College Fund is celebrating its 80 years as the nation’s leading advocate for education equity and economic mobility.
"As we mark UNCF's 80th anniversary, we reflect on the incredible progress we have made through the generous support of individual donors, corporate partners, and philanthropists to advance the educational opportunities for African American students and other underrepresented students,” said UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax.
“We are proud of the generations of scholars who have benefited from UNCF's programs and are now leaders in their respective fields,” he continued. “As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed."
The organization notched the milestone anniversary with various activities April 25 that included a 24-hour radio-thon hosted by the FM Omni-Channel Radio Station, which dedicated the day’s broadcast to UNCF. Howard Hewitt, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Ronald Isley, and others planned to call into the station’s broadcast to encourage donations to UNCF, the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and financial assistance for African American and other underrepresented students to achieve access to higher education.
In 1948, about 15,000 students had graduated from UNCF-member institutions; by 1972, that number had risen to 120,000. Today, UNCF counts more than 500,000 students it has helped get to and through college with scholarships, internships and fellowships. One such student is UNCF New York Scholar Kiara Nicole Brown, a 2023 graduate of Howard University, who was set to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in recognition of UNCF’s anniversary.