By Sam P.K. Collins

President Donald Trump addressed the 2019 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference in D.C. on Tuesday, using the opportunity to tout his administration’s work in assisting HBCUs and the African American population in general.

“You’ve seen this administration’s commitment — bigger and better and stronger than any previous administration by far,” Trump said, CNN reported.

Trump also announced he will lift a ban on federal funding for faith-based HBCUs.

“This week our Department of Justice has published an opinion declaring such discriminatory restrictions as unconstitutional. It’s a big step,” Trump said, CNN reported. “And from now on faith-based HBCUs will enjoy equal access to federal support.”

The president also hailed the African-American poverty rates under his administration.

“When I’m on that debate stage, these are pretty good numbers,” Trump said of the rates, CBS News reported. “Who’s going to beat these numbers?”

The Sept. 8-10 conference is themed “Enhancing HBCU Competitiveness: Student Achievement. Quality Partnerships. Institutional Performance.”

The conference was planned under leadership of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, created in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan.

Among the more than 1,800 people expected to attend the entire conference were representatives from each HBCU across the country.

In 2017, presidents and chancellors of several HBCUs traveled to D.C.. to meet with Trump at the White House.

This post originally appeared in The Washington Informer.

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