The HBCU National Center has been established to foster experiential learning, mentorship, and networking for students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). Participating in an experiential learning/internship program in DC is the key to next-generation leadership in the black and brown community. Colleges and universities seeking to advance their standing among national policymakers often do not have the resources to establish a foothold in Washington. And the high cost of living in an expensive city has produced a lack of diversity in the intern population. The program established by Jacqueline M. Lewis, longtime advocate for experiential learning, combines the HBCU National Center for living, learning, and networking with a grant program addressing the structural inequity of housing costs.