Howard University and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are partnering for National Preparedness Month in September. Howard leads a coalition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) seeking to work with FEMA to bolster disaster readiness in African American communities.
“This is a day to honor collaboration, but it is also a symbolic gesture of caution," said Dr. Tashni Dubroy, Howard's executive vice president and chief operation officer. "Howard, like many campus communities throughout the country, knows well the pain associated with impacts caused by natural and man-made disasters. We welcome faculty and students from all corners of the globe who come to Howard with the goal of transforming their lives into solutions for the geopolitical, ecological, and economic factors that impact environmental vulnerability.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell pledged the agency’s commitment to save lives under an awareness campaign theme of “A Lasting Legacy.”
“This theme is centered on black and African American communities' devotion to creating and protecting a legacy for future generations," Criswell said. "The message is this: the life you have built is worth protecting.”
