Adams, Hill Announce Best Buy Joins HBCU Partnership Challenge

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12),and Rep. French Hill (R-AR-02),co-chairsof the bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus, announced that Best Buy is joining the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Partnership Challenge. The HBCU Partnership Challenge is an effort to promote greater engagement and support between private companies and HBCUs.

"Best Buy is committed to increasing diversity within all levels of our company," said Best Buy's Vice President of Strategic Community Engagement Amelia Hardy. "HBCUs are excellent pipelines for diverse talent and known to produce amazing graduates who go on to be very successful in their careers. We are looking forward to more HBCU grads, like myself, joining our team in the future and are honored to sign this pledge. There will always be the need for HBCUs that are committed to preparing diverse students to thrive in a world that's not always designed to work in their favor."

In addition to joining the HBCU Partnership Challenge, Best Buy has partnered with UNCF to create a scholarship fund for students attending HBCUs. These scholarships are a part of broader commitments Best Buy made to address underrepresentation, technology inequities, and education - including a $44 million commitment to expanding college prep and career opportunities.

"I'm happy to announce Best Buy is joining the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus' HBCU Partnership Challenge," said Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. "Right now, our HBCUs are facing a major challenges due to the pandemic and a need for capital infrastructure improvements. However, with the introduction of the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, it's the perfect moment for private and public partners to come together to support our HBCUs. I applaud all of our private partners for taking the pledge at such a critical time, and leaning in to create 21st century opportunity for the institutions and students who need our help the most."

"Public-private partnership is critical to the success of the HBCU Caucus' HBCU Partnership Challenge, and I appreciate Best Buy for agreeing to join the Challenge," said Rep. French Hill (R-AR-02), Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. "Best Buy joins a number of HBCU partnership challenge companies representing private and philanthropic support for America's HBCU community. This support is a vital part of the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act that will provide opportunities for HBCU schools and students in Arkansas and across the nation."

The Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus' Partnership Challenge encourages participating organizations to make greater investments in HBCUs. In addition to the Partnership Challenge, the Caucus hosts numerous events every year including HBCU STEAM Day of Action, HBCU Day, and the Diversity in Tech Summit. For more information, please contact Sam Spencer (Sam.Spencer@mail.house.gov).

Congresswoman Alma Adams represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte) and serves as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Education & Labor Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. In 2015, she founded the first bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus in Congress.