Power, Policy, and Progress: Reflections from CBCF ALC 2025

This was my third year at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference, and each time I leave both energized and challenged. “Made for THIS Moment,” this year’s theme, perfectly captures where we are in higher education today. The landscape is shifting quickly, priorities are evolving, and the institutions that thrive will be the ones that know how to strategically leverage power and policy to drive progress.

What I love about CBC is that it’s more than a conference. It’s a space that reminds us that our legacy is action and our future is now. Every conversation felt future-forward, filled with vision and momentum. This year, I focused my time in spaces uplifting HBCUs and elevating conversations around innovation, systemization, and student success — the work that is actively shaping our future.

HBCUs as Engines of Power and Progress

A standout session for me was From Legacy to Leadership: Propelling Alabama HBCUs through Innovation, Investment & Public Policy, featuring presidents from Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Lawson State, and Miles College.

I was especially struck by Lawson State Community College’s intentional early engagement with middle schoolers, bringing them onto campus to spark interest in STEM and higher education. That kind of pipeline-building shows the long view of preparing students well before they set foot in college classrooms.

The conversation underscored the strength of collaboration. HBCUs innovating together, aligning commercialization hubs, expanding workforce pipelines, and pushing unified policy priorities. It’s a reminder that HBCUs, HBCCs, and PBIs don’t just serve campuses; they drive economic mobility, talent development, and regional transformation.

Policy Meets Purpose

The HBCU Braintrust convening, hosted by Congresswoman Alma Adams—co-chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and often called the “Godmother of HBCUs” was another highlight. Every year it delivers, and this year was no exception.

What stood out was how the discussion moved past recognition to focus on sustainability, investment, and cross-institution collaboration. This is where the “Power, Policy, and Progress” subtheme came alive: leaders naming both barriers and solutions, turning policy into action.

Building Systems, Amplifying Voices

The throughline across sessions was clear: systemization is power. Scaled impact happens when institutions share data, align workforce programs with federal priorities, and elevate non-degree pathways statewide. Progress comes when we stop working in silos. The future of higher education depends on collective action, smart policy design, and courageous leadership.

Carrying the Momentum Forward

My biggest takeaway this year, progress requires alignment -- between policy and practice, institutions and systems, leaders and learners.

And yes, my CBC ALC playlist (a must!) is still on repeat in the background as I type. A mix of classics and new drops, the perfect soundtrack to a week that was both a call to action and a reminder: I am made for THIS moment.