Lincoln University student inspired by history to advocate for HBCUs
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. (CBS) – Often, the key to change is found within the history archives, and Lincoln University junior MaKenzie Hanks pulls pages from the past to address present problems.
"I've been really fascinated with Shirley Chisholm. Change doesn't happen crying and whimpering on the sidelines. You need ideas," Hanks said.
Last fall, when more than $18 million in critical state funding for Lincoln was held up in the state's general assembly, Hanks had an idea.
She and classmate Drake Smith organized a 66-mile march from campus to the steps of the Pennsylvania capital, demanding lawmakers pass HB-1461.
READ MORE: Lincoln University students garnering more support, donations in their march for state funding
But Hanks didn't consider herself an activist, she said.
"It just seemed like the right thing to do. I saw that this was taking a toll on the university," she said. "It's my duty to look out for other people."
Hanks hasn't always been this outspoken.
"I always felt disqualified or like I wasn't enough, or I felt the need to minimize myself," she said.
That changed when she got to Lincoln.
"Learning about Black history and my family's history has encouraged me to embrace my voice," she said.
A voice so powerful, it influenced Gov. Josh Shapiro to boost Lincoln University's funding by 21%.
Now, at just 20 years old, Hanks is expanding her activism, advocating for financial support for HBCUs nationwide.