Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees Statement on Black History Month
February 2, 2026
"The history of African Americans is the history of America. It is a history of struggles and successes, of unspeakable injustice and joyous triumph, of the fight for freedom and equality, and of the quest to build a truly just nation where all can thrive.
"Access to education is a foundational necessity if we are to learn the lessons of the past and take the steps necessary to build a society that empowers and uplifts us all. That is core to SUNY's mission, and it is enshrined in our history. Our founding statute directs us: ‘to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population.'
"At SUNY, we take pride in our faculty and staff and in supporting all our students to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams through an affordable, excellent education, workforce development, and world-class research that improves lives and shines a light on disparities in health and other sectors. We work to uplift all of our students and to provide them with the tools, the experience, and the knowledge they will need to be good citizens of this state and leaders within their communities. From courses offered throughout the SUNY system on African American history to the Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity located at the State University of New York at Binghamton, we are proud to help expose students to the incredible diversity that makes New York the Empire State and support every student on their journey of academic and personal growth.
"This Black History Month, let us reflect on all parts of our nation's history, on the promise of freedom, and on the never-ending mission to achieve justice. And let us see well-rounded education, a spirit of civic inclusivity, and a habit of courage as tools to help us take action to build a better, fairer society for all."
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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