Gadsden State among first 2-year schools to join Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Gadsden State Community College students now will have additional access to scholarships and opportunities for professional development.

The college in a news release announced that it has been accepted into the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The nonprofit fund, named for Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, was established in 1997 and, according to its website, is “the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community.”

Its mission is to “ensure student success by promoting educational excellence and preparing the next generation of workforce talent through leadership development.” It has provided more than $300 million in scholarships and program support to its member schools.

Gadsden State and five other Alabama community colleges — Bishop State in Mobile, Drake State in Huntsville, Lawson State in Birmingham, Shelton State in Tuscaloosa and Trenholm in Montgomery — are the first two-year schools in the U.S. to gain membership in the fund, according to the release.

Gadsden State’s Valley Street Campus has held Historically Black Community College status since 1997, as do the other five schools.

“It is an honor to work with TMCF in the advancement and empowerment of (HBCCs) in Alabama,” GSCC President Kathy Murphy said in the release. “We appreciate the organization’s commitment to education in our country as well as the great impact they are making on those who call Gadsden State’s service area home.”

The Valley Street campus opened in 1960 as the private Gadsden Vocational Trade School for Black students. It became a state school two years later, and a decade later was renamed Gadsden State Technical Institute. It merged with Gadsden State Junior College in 1985, along with the Alabama Technical College, to create GSCC.

Its programs prepare students for construction, HVAC, licensed practical nursing, dental assistant, medication assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant and diagnostic sonography jobs. Some academic courses also are offered.

“Adding community colleges to our membership is part of an intentional move toward a more inclusive talent strategy,” said Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Marshall College Fund. He cited HBCCs’ work in workforce upskilling or reskilling; their ability to offer associate degrees, certificates and credentials that can move students into skilled, good-paying positions without a bachelor’s degree; and their ability to provide core academic credits for students seeking a bachelor’s degree.

According to a recent economic impact study commissioned by the Alabama Community College System, its 24 institutions add $6.6 billion to Alabama’s economy and support one out of every 27 jobs in the state.

Gadsden State’s operations, student spending and alumni productivity generated $207.9 million in added income in 2020-21 for the economy in its service area (Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah and St. Clair counties), according to the release, which noted that one of every 41 jobs in that area is supported by the activities of the college and its students.

“Alabama’s community colleges exist to be a pillar of community for students of all backgrounds to be able to have the resources to reach success, and these national relationships help bolster the advantages and access student have to significant opportunities that support their pursuit of excellences,” ACCS Chancellor Jimmie Baker said in the release. “The connections students and Alabama’s HBCC leaders will have through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund are bound to strengthen the avenues the colleges provide to residents who trust our colleges with the training they desire for their future.”

For more information about the Valley Street Campus and the programs and services it offers, visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/hbcu.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden State becomes part of Thurgood Marshall College Fund