82 percent Of HBCUs are Broadband Deserts — Here’s how billionaire Robert F. Smith has formed a partnership to change that

The National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference is an event where the HBCU community comes together to envision how to combat the barriers it faces while also being given its flowers for its persistent advancement through it all.

The annual conference is under the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

During its first in-person event since 2019, the HBCU conference kicked off in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 20 for three jam-packed days ahead of workshops, networking, a career fair, and more.

Among the back-to-back activities and discussions, the HBCU conference held a fireside chat with Robert F. Smith. Joining the Vista Equity Partners CEO for the sit-down conversation were Saidah Grayson Dill, Cisco, VP, Legal and Deputy General Counsel, and Tony Allen, Delaware State University, President.

Smith made headlines back in 2019 when he paid off Morehouse students’ debt. During the panel, he shared he found that 65 percent of African American families’ wealth goes to paying off student loans. Coming across the statistic pushed his drive even further to build partnerships that create a long-lasting impact and provide resources for HBCU students.