As a former professional athlete in the National Football League, I know the power of opportunity. I know what it means to rise, fight through adversity, and beat the odds stacked against you. That’s the promise of America — and it’s the very promise that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have kept alive for generations. Today, under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, that promise is being renewed, protected, and empowered in historic ways.
This month, President Trump doubled down on his unwavering support for HBCUs by taking new executive action to promote innovation, excellence, and self-determination at these treasured institutions. As someone who’s been in both locker rooms and boardrooms and who proudly serves on the front lines of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Athletes for America initiative, I see this not just as a policy win but as a defining moment for the soul of our country.
Let’s be clear: HBCUs are not just schools. They are sacred ground. These institutions gave rise to the likes of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and trailblazing mathematician Katherine Johnson. Today, they educate nearly 20 percent of Black college graduates, including 80 percent of Black judges, half of all Black lawyers and doctors, and a quarter of all Black STEM graduates. These schools punch well above their weight in delivering excellence and leadership.
For too long, HBCUs were treated like second-class citizens in America’s education system — underfunded, overlooked, and neglected by Washington elites who have been more focused on identity politics than real opportunity. That started to change in 2017. President Trump brought HBCUs back into the conversation at the White House. He didn’t just talk about supporting Black institutions, he took meaningful action that other politicians wouldn’t.
In his first term, President Trump increased federal HBCU funding by 13 percent, ended discriminatory restrictions on faith-based HBCUs, and signed the historic FUTURE (Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education) Act, which permanently secured federal funding for these schools while streamlining financial aid through Free Application for Federal Student Aid form simplification. Without this leadership, HBCUs faced a devastating $255 million fiscal cliff. That’s not just money — that’s opportunity, innovation, and young lives that would’ve been left behind.
And now, in 2025, he’s doing even more.
President Trump’s new executive actions recommit federal resources to HBCU excellence, placing the federal HBCU initiatives back in the White House where it belongs. This bold step ensures HBCUs have a direct line to the Nation’s top decision-makers. No more bureaucratic runaround. No more broken promises.
But what excites me most is that this vision is rooted in something deeper than policy — it’s rooted in patriotism. It’s rooted in the belief that every American should have the right to pursue the American Dream, no matter their background. That’s not a Democrat or Republican idea — it’s an American idea. And President Trump is making it real for hundreds of thousands of students attending HBCUs yearly.
At AFPI, we talk a lot about equality of opportunity, not equity by decree. Those two ideas are not the same. Equity often demands equal outcomes regardless of effort, values, or results. That’s not what built this country. Equality of opportunity — what HBCUs stand for — is about creating a level playing field so individuals can rise based on their God-given potential.
Athletes understand this better than most. You don’t get to the Hall of Fame because someone hands you a trophy. You get there because you put in the work. HBCUs have been putting in the work for nearly 200 years. And now, they’re finally getting the recognition and support they deserve.
To be sure, there are those who have tried to rewrite this story. They push a narrative of victimhood and grievance while simultaneously pushing divisive and revisionist ideologies into our schools. But HBCUs are not victims. They are victors. And under President Trump’s leadership, their best days are still ahead.
The truth is that President Trump’s vision for HBCUs is not just about schools — it’s about America. It’s about renewing faith in what’s possible when government steps out of the way and lets excellence rise. It’s about rejecting the politics of division and embracing a shared future rooted in values like faith, family, hard work, and freedom.
As a Black man, as a former professional athlete, and as someone who believes deeply in this country, I’m proud to stand with AFPI and President Trump in supporting HBCUs — not because of what they’ve endured, but because of what they continue to achieve.
This is the American Dream in action. And it’s worth fighting for.
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Frank D. Murphy is a former NFL wide receiver and the chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Athletes for America initiative. He founded the nonprofit CCS Plan Legacy in 2009 and is the author of The Man Behind the Helmet: ...and the God of Second Chances. He is a proud resident of Atlanta.