Alabama State University welcomed U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., on Jan. 27, for “Civic Conversations,” a Student Government Association (SGA) town hall, to address issues and offer insight to students, faculty and staff in Ralph David Abernathy Hall.
Figures discussed land-grant institutions, which are universities selected by Congress to receive federal land and/or funds. He explained that funds would be cut for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) but not for predominantly white institutions.
In an effort to fight back, he and Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., produced the Land-Grant Institution Parity Act. This legislation aims to ensure that any future cuts to land-grant funding is equitably applied.
This targets the financial disparities HBCUs historically face. From 1987 to 2020, states underfunded Black land-grant institutions by an estimated $13 billion compared to their white counterparts.
During the question-and-answer session, led by A’vandia Fedd, pro tempore of the SGA Champions Senate, one of the questions sparked a conversation on borrowed money.
Figures clarified that professional schools, such as law and medical schools, will have a “cap” placed on the amount of money a person can borrow. School costs rise while the cap stays the same.
Before leaving, he left the audience with advice. He encouraged learning how money and the economy work, when and how to start investing, and the importance of voting.
Senior SGA President Dejuan Trotman said the purpose of this town hall was to motivate students to become more active in politics.
“We are trying to get our students more involved with politics,” and “knowing the people we have in offices who do serve us.”
Students reflected on the event and its impact.
Damarcus Thomas, a sophomore finance major, said, “I feel like we need to do more events like this because these civic conversations bridge the gap for uninformed students.”
De’Jah Taylor, a sophomore dance major, said, “This conversation definitely had a major impact on the way I think now … Now I have a little bit of knowledge that I will go to continue to research.”
