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Eight new members have been named to the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus during last week's National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.

The senators joining the organization are Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), David Perdue (R-Ga.) Cory Book (D-N.J.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). They bring the total caucus membership to 62.

Schumer is the minority leader in the Senate, and Kaine was Hillary Clinton's running mate during the 2016 presidential campaign.

WASHINGTON – Today, House Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Vice-Ranking Member Alma Adams (D-NY) held a roundtable to discuss private sector entrepreneurial development programs, and, specifically, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. Participants included Goldman Sachs executives, Community Development Financial Institution lenders, and small business owners who have utilized the entrepreneurial development program.

Despite calls from the Congressional Black Caucus and the United Negro College Fund, The National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference went on as scheduled, wrapping up last week in Arlington, Va.

The event was planned under the leadership of the White House Initiative on HBCUs and with input from the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs. This meeting was the HBCU Conference held under President Donald Trump's administration and aimed to "provide a forum to exchange information and share innovations among and between institutions."

A capstone to this month's inaugural HBCU Braintrust summit organized by HBCU alumna Congresswoman Alma Adams was the announcement of eight new members to the federal HBCU Caucus.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For the first time, the North Carolina Congresswoman shares her famous hat collection.

Over the years, Rep. Alma Adams has become famous for her hats, first at the General Assembly in Raleigh and more recently in Washington, D.C., in the U.S. House.

"Every time I bump into people in the community, they say 'Oh, I recognize you from your hats,'" Adams said.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Monday named a lawyer and former NFL player as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as the administration faces criticism from those institutions of promises unkept.

Jonathan Holifield, who also writes and consults on the topics of innovation and inclusiveness, told leaders and students that HBCUs must contribute more to the American economy.

WASHINGTON – Johnathan Holifield, a consulting firm co-founder and former National Football League player, was named Monday to lead the Trump administration's initiative on historically Black colleges and universities.

Holifield will be executive director of an effort that's been stalled since President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February intended as a powerful statement that he viewed the health and well-being of the institutions as a priority.