hbcus have proven their value. we all have a role to play in overcoming the current crisis and ensuring their success and long-term viability. uncf has accelerated and intensified its appeal for donations from individuals, philanthropies, and corporations. who have athat all serious interest in higher education should consider donating to hbcus through uncf. a mind is amber, terrible thing to waste. what a wonderful thing to invest in. i am delighted to take questions. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the new honorable john lewis who came from a busy warning -- morning on the hill. [applause] >> i am honored to have my angressman join us and alumnus of an hbcus member institution. congressman lewis, thank you for being here today. john, i have to do what you probably have to do. i have to answer questions at this point. i may call on you to help me out. [laughter] >> dr. lomax, you mentioned that uncf donations have not kept pace with demand. why is that? uncf donations have been goin

>> hbcu's are diverse institutions. if you go to xavier university you will find that there is a large group of the first and second generation vietnamese who are studying pharmacy in that institution. if you go to houston and in austin texas you will find they have a significant double-digit percentage who are mexican-american many of them are first generation. that is the case at the hbcu's across florida and many of the students are first generation americans. more often than not, hbcu's are attractive institutions to new americans but they are also institutions which have international reputations as places where students of color have had an opportunity to get a good degree and one of the countries that has focused a lot of attention as of late has been brazil with strong programs at howard university here in washington, d.c. with morehouse sending students to study in the u.s. int and those institutionse sending their students to study abroad. there is an international dimension. there is a diverse population of s

him hbcu. as i look around the room i feel certain a great majority of you and certain a great majority of you know who we are at the united negro college fund and what we do. him and him i'm also aware that and him many americans of a and him diverse background know him us primarily for our iconic and him motto "a mind is a and him terrible thing to and him waste." and without knowing precisely him what our role is. and in let me take a few moments to clarify. and him uncf was formed in 1944. a yes, we are in our 70th year of existence. to consolidate the fundraising andto consolidate the fundraising for a group of him and him americans historically black colleges. and uncf core mission has always him and uncf core mission has always been to help fund these him and vital institutions that him and him have brought and him educational and opportunities to african-americans for over 100 years. during our 07 years we have helped more than 400,000 students graduate from our partner schools by raisi

he is a native of arkansas. >> he has hbcus now. actually, two of my heroes have already spoken. there isn't much else that i would need or desire to say, except that the schools have provided and continue to provide, not only the experiences that john has had, but experiences that thousands of young people all over the country. if there was not a morehouse, it kansas orbeen in ar a southern illinois. southern university in louisiana. or could've been all kinds of institutions. please give if you have the resources. i share with dr. lomax when he talked about education and the struggle that we had with them. i share with john all of the struggles that he has had throughout his life and the fact that he is such an inspiration to all of us. thank all of you. [applause] >> thank you all for coming today. to dr. lomax, congressman davis, and the congressman lewis. this has been somewhat of a spontaneous ending but i think it is ending on the right note. also like to thank the national press club staff including the journalism institute and broadcast center for organizing today's lunc

friend and my congressman john lewis if you would say a closing remark about the importance of an hbcus education. john? [applause] >> thank you, dr. lomax, for all your great and good work. thank you for all that you do. if it hadn't been for these colleges and universities, i wouldn't be standing here today. first one in my family to finish high school. first one in my family to go to college. pathway to the middle class, middle america. citizens.s all if it hadn't been for these colleges and universities, we wouldn't have a civil rights movement. maybe martin luther king junior or james farmer. a julian bond. down, notnts sitting standing up. these colleges and universities bring about a nonviolent revolution, a revolution of values, i revolution of ideas. have the podium, i want to take a moment to yield to a friend of mine. >> we were just going to introduce him. >> mr. davis. is -- when it comes to education, he is a champion. danny, thank you. you want to say a word? [applause] congressman davis of chicago. he is a native of arkansas. >> he has hbcus now. actually, two of my hero

hbcu's are being cut. just like need help, barack obama said.eople need a hand up to get out of poverty. host: we and you say resources, are you talking about federal government resources? caller: yes, black folks should be helped just like every other race, the irish and the jews. people forget about all that. the government came in, just like with the v.a. bill. black fullscope not move into certain areas, they were redline. on andupremacy is going it is not only hurting black folks, it is hard and white folks, too. he said it was a personal attack about how he grew up. lying that you did not grow up in abject poverty, that is not a personal attack, it is the proof. conservatives, the only good thing about them is that the older ones, 10 or 15 ones, they will not be on this earth. host: give us a snapshot of your personal story? caller: by personal story is that my grandfather, my father, and myself, we work very hard. there was a time that black folks did not have much. we lived in poverty and we were quiet. as soon as we wanted to move into