For the first time in a decade, Michigan will be the home of a historically Black college. Shortly before the new year, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation that confirmed the reopening of the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design.
As reported by the Black Information Network, the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design was founded by Violet T. Lewis in Indiana during the late 1920s. Eleven years after opening its doors, Lewis moved the school to Michigan where it served students for more than eight decades. Unfortunately, the school was forced to close its doors a decade ago due to a number of obstacles.
Now, former Nike designer Dr. D’Wayne Edwards is working to reopen the school.
“I am proud to play a part in helping reopen the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design in Detroit,” Whitmer said in a press release.
“I am committed to expanding educational opportunities for Michiganders across our state to put Michigan first.”
Edwards believes that this school will not only serve a new generation of Black students, but it will also create more jobs in the area.
“HBCUs are a large part of our history as African Americans and we must preserve these sacred institutions. At one point, there were more than 120 HBCUs, and today we are down to 101 with more in danger of closing every year,” Edwards told AfroTech.
“I truly believe HBCUs hold the key to our future, especially if they continue to receive the funding they need to create a curriculum that competes or elevates over the traditional learning institutions.”
