Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Encyclopedia
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black
community.
There are 105 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States today, including public and private, two-year and four-year institutions, medical schools and community colleges. All are or were in the former slave states and territories of the U.S. except for Central State University (Ohio), Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
, Lewis College of Business
(Detroit, Michigan), Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
, Wilberforce University
(Ohio), and now-defunct Western University (Kansas)
. Some closed during the 20th century due to competition, the Great Depression
and financial difficulties after operating for decades.
. However, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
, established in 1837, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
, established in 1854, and Wilberforce University
, established in 1856, were established for blacks prior to the American Civil War.
The Higher Education Act of 1965
, as amended, defines a "part B institution" as: "...any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation." Part B of the 1965 Act provides for direct federal aid to Part B institutions.
In 1863, the Morrill Act provided for land grant colleges in each state. Some educational institutions in the North or West were open to blacks since the Civil War. However, 17 states, mostly in the South, generally excluded blacks from their land grant colleges. In response, the second Morrill Act of 1890 was passed to require states to establish a separate land grant college for blacks if blacks were being excluded from the then existing land grant college. Many of the HBCUs were founded in response to the Second Morrill Act. These land grant schools continue to receive annual federal funding for their research, extension
and outreach activities. The Higher Education Act of 1965 established a program for direct federal grants to HBCUs, including federal matching of private endowment contributions.
Other educational institutions currently have large numbers of blacks in their student body, but as they were founded (or opened their doors to African Americans) after the implementation of the Sweatt v. Painter
and Brown v. Board of Education
rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court
(the court decisions which outlawed racial segregation
of public education facilities) and the Higher Education Act of 1965, they are not historically black colleges, but have been termed "predominantly black."
Starting in 2001, the libraries of several HBCUs began a conversation about ways to pool their resources and work collaboratively. In 2003, this partnership was formalized as the HBCU Library Alliance, "a consortium that supports the collaboration of information professionals dedicated to providing an array of resources designed to strengthen historically black colleges and Universities and their constituents."
The portion of Bachelor degrees awarded to black students by HBCUs has steadily dropped from 35% in 1976 to 21.5% in 2001. From 1976 to 2001, total HBCU enrollment grew from 180,059 to 222,453, with most of this increase being attributable to the growth of female black enrollment from 88,379 to 117,766.
In 1975, Jake Ayers Sr. filed a lawsuit against Mississippi
for giving more financial support to its predominantly white public colleges. The state settled the lawsuit in 2002 and agreed to direct $503 million to three historically black colleges, collectively, over 17 years.
Following the enactment of Civil Rights laws
in the 1960s, all educational institutions that receive federal funding have undertaken affirmative action
to increase their racial diversity. Some historically black colleges now have non-black majorities, notably West Virginia State University
and Bluefield State College
whose student body has been over 80% white
since the mid-1960s. Many non-state-supported HBCUs are struggling financially, due to the increased cost of delivering private education to students and declining financial aid for students.
Other HBCUs with Relatively High Non-African American Student Populations
The following list illustrates the percentage of white
(caucasian) student populations currently attending historically black colleges and universities according to statistical profiles compiled by the U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges 2011 edition: Langston University
12%; Shaw University
12%; Tennessee State University
12%; University of Maryland Eastern Shore
12%; North Carolina Central University
10%. The U.S. News and World Reports statistical profiles indicate that several other HBCUs have relatively significant percentages of non-African American student populations consisting of Asian, Hispanic, International and white American students.
have a joint program to promote the digitalization of HBCU collections. The project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community.
There are 105 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States today, including public and private, two-year and four-year institutions, medical schools and community colleges. All are or were in the former slave states and territories of the U.S. except for Central State University (Ohio), Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public, co-educational historically black university that is a part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cheyney University has a campus that is located in the Cheyney community within Thornbury Township, Chester County and Thornbury...
, Lewis College of Business
Lewis College of Business
Lewis College of Business is an unaccredited institution of higher education in Detroit, Michigan in the United States. It is also the first historically black college in Michigan. Founded in 1928, it currently has about 300 students. It specializes in business-related topics.-References:...
(Detroit, Michigan), Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
, Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans...
(Ohio), and now-defunct Western University (Kansas)
Western University (Kansas)
Western University was a historically black college established as Quindaro Freedman's School at Quindaro, Kansas after the Civil War. It was the earliest school for African Americans west of the Mississippi River and the only one ever to operate in the state of Kansas...
. Some closed during the 20th century due to competition, the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
and financial difficulties after operating for decades.
History
Most HBCUs were established after the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. However, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public, co-educational historically black university that is a part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cheyney University has a campus that is located in the Cheyney community within Thornbury Township, Chester County and Thornbury...
, established in 1837, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
, established in 1854, and Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans...
, established in 1856, were established for blacks prior to the American Civil War.
The Higher Education Act of 1965
Higher Education Act of 1965
The Higher Education Act of 1965 was legislation signed into United States law on November 8, 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic agenda. Johnson chose Texas State University–San Marcos as the signing site...
, as amended, defines a "part B institution" as: "...any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation." Part B of the 1965 Act provides for direct federal aid to Part B institutions.
In 1863, the Morrill Act provided for land grant colleges in each state. Some educational institutions in the North or West were open to blacks since the Civil War. However, 17 states, mostly in the South, generally excluded blacks from their land grant colleges. In response, the second Morrill Act of 1890 was passed to require states to establish a separate land grant college for blacks if blacks were being excluded from the then existing land grant college. Many of the HBCUs were founded in response to the Second Morrill Act. These land grant schools continue to receive annual federal funding for their research, extension
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
and outreach activities. The Higher Education Act of 1965 established a program for direct federal grants to HBCUs, including federal matching of private endowment contributions.
Other educational institutions currently have large numbers of blacks in their student body, but as they were founded (or opened their doors to African Americans) after the implementation of the Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt v. Painter, , was a U.S. Supreme Court case that successfully proved lack of equality, in favor of a black applicant, the "separate but equal" doctrine of racial segregation established by the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson. The case was also influential in the landmark case of Brown v...
and Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
(the court decisions which outlawed racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of public education facilities) and the Higher Education Act of 1965, they are not historically black colleges, but have been termed "predominantly black."
Starting in 2001, the libraries of several HBCUs began a conversation about ways to pool their resources and work collaboratively. In 2003, this partnership was formalized as the HBCU Library Alliance, "a consortium that supports the collaboration of information professionals dedicated to providing an array of resources designed to strengthen historically black colleges and Universities and their constituents."
Current status
Of the 105 HBCU institutions in America today, 27 offer doctoral programs and 52 provide graduate degree programs at the Master's level. At the undergraduate level, 83 of the HBCUs offer a Bachelor's degree program and 38 of these schools offer associate degrees.The portion of Bachelor degrees awarded to black students by HBCUs has steadily dropped from 35% in 1976 to 21.5% in 2001. From 1976 to 2001, total HBCU enrollment grew from 180,059 to 222,453, with most of this increase being attributable to the growth of female black enrollment from 88,379 to 117,766.
In 1975, Jake Ayers Sr. filed a lawsuit against Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
for giving more financial support to its predominantly white public colleges. The state settled the lawsuit in 2002 and agreed to direct $503 million to three historically black colleges, collectively, over 17 years.
Following the enactment of Civil Rights laws
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
in the 1960s, all educational institutions that receive federal funding have undertaken affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
to increase their racial diversity. Some historically black colleges now have non-black majorities, notably West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University is a historically black public college in Institute, West Virginia, United States. In the Charleston-metro area, the school is usually referred to simply as "State" or "West Virginia State"...
and Bluefield State College
Bluefield State College
Bluefield State College is a historically black college located in Bluefield, West Virginia, United States. It is a part of West Virginia's public education system and offers baccalaureate and associate degrees. The school is not connected in any way with Bluefield College in nearby Bluefield,...
whose student body has been over 80% white
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
since the mid-1960s. Many non-state-supported HBCUs are struggling financially, due to the increased cost of delivering private education to students and declining financial aid for students.
Racial Diversity at HBCUs
As colleges work harder to maintain enrollment levels and because of increased racial harmony and the low cost of tuition, the percentage of non-African American enrollment has tended to climb. The following table highlights HBCUs with high non-African American enrollments:| College name | Percent African American | Percent White Caucasian |
|---|---|---|
| Bluefield State College Bluefield State College Bluefield State College is a historically black college located in Bluefield, West Virginia, United States. It is a part of West Virginia's public education system and offers baccalaureate and associate degrees. The school is not connected in any way with Bluefield College in nearby Bluefield,... |
13% for 2009–10 school year | 75% for 2010–11 school year |
| West Virginia State University West Virginia State University West Virginia State University is a historically black public college in Institute, West Virginia, United States. In the Charleston-metro area, the school is usually referred to simply as "State" or "West Virginia State"... |
17% for 2010-2011 | 72% for 2010–11 school year |
| Kentucky State University Kentucky State University Kentucky State University is a four-year institution of higher learning, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, United States, the Commonwealth's capital. The school is an historically black university, which desegregated in 1954... |
64% for 2010–11 school year | 34% for 2010–11 school year |
| Delaware State University Delaware State University Delaware State University , is an American historically black, public university located in Dover, Delaware, and there are two satellite campuses located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Georgetown, Delaware... |
70% for 2010–11 school year | 25% for 2010–11 school year |
| Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides... |
79% for 2010–11 school year | 18% for 2010–11 school year |
| University of the District of Columbia University of the District of Columbia The University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. UDC is one of only a few urban land-grant universities in the country and a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund... |
74% for 2010–11 school year | 17% for 2010–11 school year |
| Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City State University is a public, historically black college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States... |
81% for 2010–11 school year | 17% for 2010–11 school year |
| Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University is a historically black, regional university located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. FSU is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.-Academics:The primary... |
78% for 2010-11 school year | 16% for 2010–11 school year |
| Winston Salem State University | 81% for 2010–11 school year | 16% for 2010–11 school year |
| Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana , located in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college with the distinction of being the only historically black Roman Catholic institution of higher education... |
74% for 2010–11 school year | 13% for 2010–11 school year |
Other HBCUs with Relatively High Non-African American Student Populations
The following list illustrates the percentage of white
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
(caucasian) student populations currently attending historically black colleges and universities according to statistical profiles compiled by the U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges 2011 edition: Langston University
Langston University
Langston University is an institution of higher learning located in Langston, Oklahoma, USA. It is the only historically black college in the state, and the westernmost historically black college in the United States...
12%; Shaw University
Shaw University
Shaw University, founded as Raleigh Institute, is a private liberal arts institution and historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest HBCU in the Southern United States....
12%; Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
12%; University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Maryland Eastern Shore located on 776 acres in Princess Anne, Maryland, United States, is part of the University System of Maryland...
12%; North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
10%. The U.S. News and World Reports statistical profiles indicate that several other HBCUs have relatively significant percentages of non-African American student populations consisting of Asian, Hispanic, International and white American students.
Special Academic Programs
HBCU libraries have formed the HBCU Library Alliance. That alliance together with Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
have a joint program to promote the digitalization of HBCU collections. The project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York City and Princeton, New Jersey in the United States, is a private foundation with five core areas of interest, endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon of the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the product of the 1969...
.
See also
Further reading
- Minor, James T., “A Contemporary Perspective on the Role of Public hbcus: Perspicacity from Mississippi,” Journal of Negro Education, 77 (Fall 2008), 323–35.|location=Washington, DC: Government Printing Office|url=http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004062|doi= |id= |accessdate=2008-01-03}}
External links
- Black College Wire – news service to promote the journalistic work of students at predominantly black colleges and universities
- White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities – details about this federal initiative, including its history and recent achievements
- UNCF.org
- HBCU Digest.com
- HBCU Connect.com
- Information about HBCU from Peterson's including tuition, selectivity and cost