Bill heads to Pa. Senate after Lincoln University students marched to Harrisburg for funding
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A $640 million dollar funding bill for Lincoln University and three other state-related universities made it through the Senate Appropriations Committee Monday and will be voted on the Senate floor on Tuesday.
RELATED: Lincoln University students garnering more support, donations in their march for state funding
This is in large part thanks to 13 Lincoln University students who marched for three days to send a clear message to lawmakers that they were fed up.
The students chanted "1-8-5-4 the first HBCU for sure" for three days straight while walking 66 miles through cold and rainy weather from campus to the Pennsylvania State Capitol, where they demanded lawmakers pass a bill allocating $19 million in critical funding for their school.
"Once we said the 66 miles, that really made them stop," Drake Smith said. "A lot of them said, 'Really?' They just couldn't believe it."
The group crossed the State Street Bridge into Harrisburg on Sunday and were met by busloads of fellow students, alumni and supporters.
State Sen. Vincent Hughes, along with representatives Jordan Harris, Napoleon Nelson and Joanna McClinton commended the students for their activism, which in turn could impact funding for all state-related universities.
"It made me feel like a hero," Jayson Davis said.
"We actually got to express our first amendment right to gather and we were heard," Isaiah Johnson said.
In a matter of days, their movement caught the attention of the community and received more than $7,000 in donations.
The young leaders ended the march at Wesley Union A.M.E, the oldest African-American church in Harrisburg – paying homage to Civil Rights activists who came before them.
"The underground railroad came through Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church with Harriet Tubman," Rev. David Miller said. "W.E.B. Du Bois came and spoke at Wesley Union and Frederick Douglas. I made sure they had sweet tea, candied yams, mac and cheese, fried chicken, we even gave them a biscuit on the side."
