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2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 21
BY SENATOR DUPLESSIS
A RESOLUTION
To recognize Tuesday, March 17, 2026, as Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCU) Day at the Louisiana State Capitol.
WHEREAS, Louisiana is proud to be home to eight Historically Black Colleges and
Universities that play a pivotal role in expanding educational opportunity, strengthening
communities, and preparing generations of leaders who contribute to the economic, cultural,
and civic vitality of the state; and
WHEREAS, since their establishment nearly two centuries ago, HBCUs have stood
as enduring symbols of resilience, opportunity, and excellence, opening doors to higher
education and cultivating generations of scholars, leaders, innovators, and public servants
whose contributions continue to enrich Louisiana, the nation, and the world; and
WHEREAS, HBCUs not only transform lives but also strengthen the economy and
workforce, aligning academic programs with the evolving needs of society and preparing
graduates who excel as scientists, doctors, educators, artists, lawyers, judges, engineers,
entrepreneurs, public servants, and community leaders whose impact resonates across every
sector of society; and
WHEREAS, this tradition of excellence, leadership, and service is powerfully
embodied in the life of Dr. Norman C. Francis, an Xavier University of Louisiana graduate
who went on to integrate Loyola University New Orleans College of Law; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Francis provided over fifty-eight years of service to Xavier
University and forty-seven as president of the university, having the distinction of becoming
one of the longest serving university presidents in the nation, and through his visionary
leadership, unwavering dedication, and commitment to transforming Xavier into a national
model of higher education, he pursued the university's mission by shaping generations of
scholars, health professionals, and civic leaders and by expanding access, fostering growth,
and advancing academic excellence for students across Louisiana and the nation; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's HBCUs have distinguished themselves, both nationally and
in the state, in numerous ways including:
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Dillard University continues its longstanding tradition of academic excellence and
national competitiveness, with the university's nationally recognized Honda Campus All-Star
Challenge team advancing, for the third consecutive year, to the 2025 National
Championship Tournament in Los Angeles, a premier academic quiz competition that
celebrates scholarship and teamwork. The university recently received a nineteen million
dollar gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest private donation in the
university's history, to support student success, scholarships, and institutional advancement;
Grambling State University remains a pillar of opportunity and leadership in
Louisiana, advancing academic innovation through the establishment of the state's first PhD
program in Criminology and Justice Administration, while celebrating a proud legacy of
achievement marked by one hundred years of Tiger Athletics and one hundred years of the
World Famed Tiger Marching Band;
Southern University and A&M College, the flagship institution of the Southern
University System and a Carnegie Research 2 institution, continues more than one hundred
forty-six years of leadership in higher education and while opening a forty-eight million
dollar state-of-the-art STEM complex and Global Innovation and Welcome Center, and
celebrating the internationally recognized "Human Jukebox" Marching Band which was
named ESPN's Band of the Year for 2025;
Southern University Law Center continues to expand access to justice and
experiential legal education through the construction of a new Clinical Legal Education
Building, strengthening opportunities for students while enhancing legal services for the
Baton Rouge community;
Southern University at New Orleans, celebrating seventy years of excellence and
service to the Greater New Orleans community, recently hosted the first-ever
Egyptian-commissioned replica King Tutankhamun exhibition at a historically black college
or university and celebrated the SUNO Men's Basketball Team for capturing the 2026
HBCU Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, its first conference title since 2012;
Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center continues to
advance agricultural innovation and workforce development as the only historically black
college or university selected as a site for the United States Department of Agriculture's
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Agricultural Research Service laboratory and also provides hands-on learning through
programs such as its Viticulture and Enology research vineyard, and the VET Explore
program preparing future veterinarians;
Southern University at Shreveport continues to strengthen workforce development
and community impact in North Louisiana through the Aerospace Technology Center, which
serves as the region's premier training hub for aviation technicians, while advancing
entrepreneurship through the Roy Griggs School of Business, and expanding community
partnerships, including a re-entry workforce training initiative with the Caddo Parish
Sheriff's Office;
Xavier University of Louisiana continues its legacy of academic excellence
established under the leadership of Dr. Norman C. Francis and remains a national leader in
preparing students for careers in health professions the university ranks among the nation's
leading producers of African-American undergraduates who go on to complete medical
school, and is one of the top producers of African-American Doctor of Pharmacy graduates,
and contributes significantly to the educational, cultural, and economic vitality of the state
of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Louisiana's Historically Black Colleges
and Universities for their outstanding achievements and their numerous alumni for
contributions to their local communities, the state of Louisiana, and the world as a whole.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby recognize Tuesday, March 17, 2026, as Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCU) Day at the Louisiana State Capitol and does hereby acknowledge
Louisiana's HBCUs for their invaluable contributions to our residents and state.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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