Negro College Fund President Speaks at IOP

Demographics and race relations are the primary challenges America must overcome to succeed in the 21st century, William H. Gray III, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, said at the ARCO Forum last night.

Gray, a Heffernan visiting fellow at the Institute of Politics (IOP), emphasized the importance of an inevitable integration of America's racial and ethnic groups.

Gray, also a former U.S. representative, said that true integration is an increasingly important issue in a country where by 2050 half the population will be made up of minorities.

"We are still having a debate in 1996, one that we should have been over in 1965," Gray said. "It causes us to lose sight of what it takes to be successful in America."

Gray alluded to the upcoming elections and warned of Republican candidates who are asking for a return to old-fashioned American values.

"Are you talking about the values when I had to sit in the back of the bus, or when I couldn't go to Duke?" he asked.

Gray also spoke about the importance of strengthening educational establishments and increasing educational opportunities.

"We need to strengthen every educational institution in America that is doing a good job," he said.

Gray also emphasized the importance that historically black colleges have played in educating future black professionals. Of all black physicians in the country, 80 percent did their undergraduate studies at historically black colleges, he said.

At the same time he also said that integration is needed at all institutions of higher education. Speaking of his audience of about 100 at the ARCO Forum, Gray said that a few decades ago "it would not have been as rich in color and diversity as it is now."

Gray said the United Negro College Fun works to help students at all economic and academic levels to attain a college education. He cited a program initiated by the fund three years ago which recruited inner city high school students from Los Angels with GPAs between 1.7 and 2.2 and whose families were mostly below the poverty line.

Gray said the presidents of colleges affiliated with the Fund should accept the students on a provisional basis while the Fund supported them financially.

"Out of the 39 we sent, 32 are still there; three are class presidents; and five made the honor rolls," Gray said.

The take-home lesson, Gray said, is that American not only needs to encourage the best and the brightest but also to create opportunities for the rest.

The speech was sponsored by the IOP.