Changing the narrative: UNCF and its role in policy advocacy for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Abstract

Through the use of qualitative content analysis, we highlight the various advocacy strategies of and technologies of resistance utilized by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), an organization established to raise funding, awareness, and engage in policy advocacy on behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Providing an overview of the literature on minoritized policy advocacy, as well as highlighting the dearth of inquiry on minoritized organizations that engage in policy advocacy on behalf of and in consortium with HBCUs, this article highlights the work of the UNCF, its history, and its evolving role in policy advocacy to combat policy borne out of predominantly White policy arenas. We identify the ways UNCF challenge deficit narratives about HBCUs and the minoritized populations these institutions serve as well as offer concrete strategies and technologies of resistance that can be used for engaging in policy advocacy on behalf of minoritized organizations and communities.