CLARKSDALE, Miss. — Coahoma Community College has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the HBCU Brilliance Initiative, a national program led by the Reinvestment Fund aimed at supporting long-term sustainability and financial resilience at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The funding will support infrastructure upgrades and strategic development projects on campus, reinforcing President Valmadge Towner’s push to modernize college facilities and strengthen CCC’s operational framework. Towner said the award validates the institution’s ongoing efforts to enhance its learning environment and expand access to high-quality education.
“Coahoma Community College will continue to seek out partners and resources that can help the institution fulfill its mission,” Towner said. “It is gratifying to know that the HBCU Brilliance Initiative deemed Coahoma’s past efforts and future plans to improve lives of students as valuable and potentially uplifting. We will not waver in the work of providing quality educational services and forming alliances with those who believe in our mission.”
The grant application was led by Gwendolyn Johnson, director of federal and sponsored programs, with support from members of Coahoma’s executive team, including Chief of Staff Letha Richards, Financial Management specialist Deborah Valentine, Chief Financial Officer Dorothy Conley, and Student Services Director Karen Done.
The HBCU Brilliance Initiative launched earlier this year and provides participating colleges with $40,000 in grant funding and access to up to $1 million in financing for infrastructure modernization, predevelopment planning, and environmental sustainability projects.
College officials said the award will help advance Coahoma’s long-term goals of improving campus facilities, strengthening sustainability efforts, and enhancing the overall student experience.
As one of Mississippi’s historic HBCUs, Coahoma Community College continues to focus on institutional growth, educational access, and community impact throughout the Mississippi Delta.
