UNCF Annual Walk for Education: Empowering minority students and strengthening HBCUs nationwide

On the morning of Sept. 21, Minnesotans can walk, run, or bike to show their support for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Participants will gather at the Lakeview Terrace Farmers Market, located at 3769 Crystal Lake Blvd in Robbinsdale, from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

“It’s a great way to support small businesses, give back to college funds, and wrap up our farmers market season,” said Chaz Sandifer, owner of the Lakeview Terrace Farmers Market, supporter of Minnesota’s UNCF Annual Walk for Education, and host of Fitness Revolution with Chaz on the ShelettMakesMeLaugh.com podcast platform. “It’s for the whole family.”

Across the country, communities will unite to participate in UNCF 5K (3.1-mile) events aimed at raising funds to support minority student academic success. This year, the goal is to provide 10,000 scholarships and internships through 400 national programs.

For more than seven decades, UNCF has had a reputation for advocating for minority student education in the United States, operating under the mantra “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” The organization’s mission is to ensure that students from minority communities have the opportunity to attend college, graduate, and contribute to society.

The focus of UNCF’s mission is twofold: supporting individual students with scholarships while also supporting academic institutions.

By offering more than $83 million in scholarships annually and supporting 37 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the organization has doubled the number of minority students attending college. HBCUs, originally founded to provide African Americans with access to quality education, continue to be vital today, generating 134,000 jobs annually and contributing $14.8 billion to the U.S. economy.

“Any scholarship that I ever received from UNCF was a godsend,” said Asili Johnson in a recent profile by UNCF. “They came at a time I really needed it, when I was at my wit’s end and didn’t know if I would be able to continue my studies at Spelman.” Johnson is a recipient of the UNCF MetLife Foundation Scholarship and Anheuser-Busch Foundation Scholarship.

UNCF scholarship recipients have a 70% six-year graduation rate, 9% higher than the national average for all four-year institutions and 31% higher than the national average for African Americans.

“Can you imagine how many kids they’re helping get through school without worrying about financial problems?” Sandifer said. “Education is freedom.”

Participants may still join the Sept. 21 UNCF Walk for Education and can walk, donate, or spread the word.

To register for the event in Robbinsdale, go to UNCF Walk for Education - Twin Cities. For more information about UNCF and its mission, visit UNCF - About .