PRESS RELEASES
What Has André Carson Done On Martin University?
Indiana's Only HBCU Serving Adult Learners Closed Its Doors. Carson Issued a Statement Six Days Before the End.
Thursday, April 9
Indianapolis, IN — Martin University was not just a school.
Founded in 1977 by Benedictine monk Father Boniface Hardin, Martin University was built specifically to serve adult learners—returning students, working parents, people who had been told by every other institution that their moment had passed. It was Indiana's only Historically Black College or University serving that population. For nearly five decades it gave second chances to people the system had written off.
On December 31, 2025, it closed permanently.
The warning signs were not subtle. The school had faced financial pressure for years. In 2025, Governor Braun's administration withdrew state funding and eliminated DEI programs that Martin University depended on. The writing was on the wall for anyone paying attention.
André Carson issued a statement on December 19th, six days before the doors closed forever.
The statement called the decision to withdraw funding "dangerous" and "partisan." It was posted to his website. Then the university closed anyway.
Eighteen years in Congress. A seat on the Appropriations subcommittees. Relationships across the federal government. Access to Title III funding specifically designed to support HBCUs. The ability to pursue emergency federal appropriations, to call on the Department of Education, to use the platform of this office to force a national conversation about what it means to let Indiana's only HBCU serving adult learners disappear.
None of that was deployed. No emergency funding was pursued. No federal intervention was attempted. No legislation was introduced. No hearing was called.
A statement was issued. Six days before the end.
Martin University's students—many of them Black adults who had no other institution willing to serve them—deserved more than a press release. They deserved a congressman who saw the crisis coming and fought like it mattered.
"Martin University wasn't just a school; it was a lifeline," Hornedo said. "When Indiana's only HBCU serving adult learners was on the verge of closing, the response from our congressman was a statement issued six days before the end. No emergency funding. No federal intervention. No fight. Indianapolis deserved better than that. Those students deserved better than that."
This is part of the Hornedo campaign's daily accountability series, What Has André Carson Done?, running through May 1st. Learn more at georgehornedo.com.
Indianapolis deserves more than a vote in Washington. It deserves a congressman who uses the full platform of the office to fight for federal resources, to force the conversation at every level of government, and to show up for this community before the cameras arrive. That's the standard. That's what's been missing.
RECORD CHECK: The Center for Effective Lawmaking ranks Congressman Carson 197th out of 220 House Democrats in legislative effectiveness. Of his claimed 22 bills signed into law, 2 are standalone enacted bills—the Ariel Rios Federal Building naming and the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site Act.
73% of Congressman Carson's campaign funding comes from PACs, much of it from corporate PACs including AES Indiana, BlackRock, and defense contractors. Only 7% comes from small-dollar donors.
When Julia Carson held this seat, Indianapolis was a competitive Democratic stronghold that helped power statewide wins. Under André Carson, the 7th Congressional District has become the worst in Indiana for voter turnout and Democrats haven't won statewide since 2012.