H. Carl McCall, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, has been a tireless and relentless champion of higher education and that’s why he is firmly committed to a recent initiative by The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive.
Next Wednesday, September 24, McCall, along with several other notable history makers across the nation, will be at the forefront of a day of service during the 5th Annual Back to School with The HistoryMakers program.
As McCall has often stated, “My mother always told us how important it was to get a good education,” and this is the mission of The HistoryMakers, which was recently included in the Library of Congress collection, as they underscore the word ‘Commit’ to excellence for young people to complete their education.
Chairing this nationwide effort with the goal of having more than 400 black leaders go ‘back to school’ in 61 cities and 30 states is Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The program puts The HistoryMakers in direct contact with over 25,000 students across the nation, to inspire them with their life’s stories and to encourage youth to strive for excellence.
“By bringing these living leaders into today’s educational system,” said Julieanna Richardson, the founder and executive director of The HistoryMakers, “we are raising awareness about the achievements of the accomplished African Americans in local communities and bringing these leaders into schools to see things first hand, while providing important role models for today’s youth.”
