This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we recognize our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for their extraordinary accomplishments in education and for extending the promise of our Nation's founding to all of our citizens. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were created to educate African Americans when they were wrongly denied the opportunity to attend school during the 19th century. Today, these great institutions continue to advance equal opportunity and excellence in education. In 2002, HBCUs enrolled 14 percent of all African Americans attending college. Their graduates are leaders in medicine, education, government, the military, business, the arts, the law, and many other fields. They include such heroes as Thurgood Marshall, who led the struggle for equal justice under law for African Americans and successfully represented African-American schoolchildren in Brown. Complete text

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Remarks of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell at the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference