Miscellaneous... A Dream Deferred ... The future of African American education. A Dream Deferred continues to inspire powerful thinking around key issues that affect African American students. Educators from across the country will convene to develop a unified voice to advocate for, and effect, change.
HBCU Central... We are currently striving to be a cohesive link between all Historically Black Colleges and Universities worldwide.
HBCU Mall... We feature fan gear for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Jackets, jerseys, caps, tailgating tents, car flags, car mats, greek gear and much more.
HBCU Network... The net working for the Historically Black colleges and Universities.
Unity Through Knowledge HBCU Tour... The “Unity Through Knowledge” HBCU Tour is an annual Easter/Spring Break experience designed to introduce high school students to the educational objectives and opportunities of historical and predominantly black universities.
University of the Virgin Islands... St. Croix & St. Thomas United States Virgin Islands - Founded as "College of the Virgin Islands"
Alabama... Alabama A&M University... Normal, Alabama - Founded as "Colored Normal School at Huntsville"
Concordia College, Selma... Selma, Alabama - Known as "Alabama Lutheran Academy and Junior College" until 1981.
Drake State Technical College... From its inception, J. F. Drake State Technical College has been committed to training individuals for employment in vocational, technical and industrial pursuits.
Miles College... Fairfield, Alabama - Known as "Miles Memorial College" until 1941.
Oakwood College... Since 1896, Oakwood College has provided students the opportunity to enter its halls of learning in preparation for service to community, country, and the world.
Selma University... Selma, Alabama - Founded as "Alabama Baptist Normal and Theological School"
Stillman College... Stillman is an institution of higher education founded by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in1876.
Talladega College... Formed in 1865, Talladega College, serves as important, educational resource, eastern Alabama.
Shorter College... Providing quality higher education, enabling and encouraging student commitment to active life-long learning, personal spiritual values, responsible citizenship, and community and societal leadership in a global context.
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff... The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a state supported Land Grant Institution, Historically Black College University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Originally known as Branch Normal College.
California... Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science... Through innovative basic science, the University conducts education, patient care and research programs- training physicians and allied health professionals to provide care to under served populations.
Delaware... Delaware State University... Dover, Delaware - Founded as "The State College for Colored Students"
District of Columbia... Howard University... Washington, District of Columbia.
Florida... Bethune-Cookman College... Bethune-Cookman College, a comprehensive college, which offers degrees in liberal arts as well as professional fields, such as business, education and nursing. A United Methodist Church-affiliated school, the college has a diverse and international student population of more than 2,500 and a solid reputation for academic excellence.
Edward Waters College... Jacksonville, Florida - Founded as "Brown Theological Institute"
Florida A & M University... Florida A&M University is a four-year, public, co-educational and fully accredited institution of higher learning.
Manatee Community College ... The partners of Manatee Community College have established a welcoming enviroment for the community to study and enjoy the rich contributions to American history made by Black Americans.
Georgia... Albany State University... Albany, Georgia - Founded as "Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute"
Clark Atlanta Unive... Providing a quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education to a student body that is predominantly African-American and also diversified by students from various other racial, ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Fort Valley State College... Only 20 miles southwest of Macon, Fort Valley is a comprehensive institution providing an educational experience of exceptional quality.
Miles College ... Miles College, Historically Black College (HBCU), founded in 1905, private liberal arts institution, of the CME Church, proud history of producing teachers, preachers, community leaders, and politicians.
Morehouse College... Ranked twice as the number one college in the nation for educating African American students by Black Enterprise magazine, Morehouse College is the nation’s largest, private liberal arts college for African-American men.
Morehouse School of Medicine... The Morehouse School of Medicine is a historically black institution established to recruit and train minority and other students as physicians, biomedical scientists, and public healthcare professionals committed to the primary healthcare needs of the underserved.
Morris Brown College... Morris Brown is proud of its tradition of serving the educational needs of the best and the brightest young minds, while simultaneously providing educational support to students who might not otherwise receive the opportunity to compete on the college level.
Paine College... Paine College is a Historically Black, private, church-related, four-year, co-educational college. Through its residential, commuter, and off-site units, Paine College strives to develop self-sufficient and productive citizens committed to intellectual pursuits and aesthetic appreciation in a global society.
Savannah State College... For over 100 years, Savannah State University has provided a high quality inspiring education to students from throughout Georgia.
Spelman College... Private, independent, liberal arts, historically Black college for women, founded in 1881.
Illinois... Chicago State University... On campus, there are ample opportunities for students to be involved in student government, clubs, and organizations and most activities are free to the general public.
Kentucky... Kentucky State University... KSU's educational mission, though centered on degree programs that emphasize liberal studies, also places considerable importance on the University's public service commitments.
Louisiana... Dillard University... Dillard University is a private, historically black, liberal arts institution. Dillard has as its purpose the development of graduates who are broadly educated, culturally aware, concerned with improving the human condition and able to meet the competitive demands of a global and technologically advanced society.
Grambling State University... Grambling, Louisiana - Founded as "Colored Industrial and Agricultural School"
Xavier University... Xavier University of Louisiana is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is the promotion of a more just and humane society. To this end, Xavier prepares its students to assume roles of leadership and service in society.
Maryland... Bowie State University... Bowie, Maryland - Founded as "Baltimore Normal School"
Coppin... Historically black college, Baltimore, MD., high quality undergraduate and graduate education with arts, sciences, preprofessional and professional areas such as teacher education, and nursing.
Morgan State University... Morgan State, Maryland's Public Urban University located in Baltimore, is a historically Black university, a prime example of higher education in a diverse culture.
Mississippi... Alcorn State University... Alcorn State University is a land-grant, liberal arts, science and teacher education public institution with programs in selected professional areas such as business and nursing.
Coahoma Community College... Coahoma County, Mississippi - Founded as "Coahoma County Agricultural High School"
Rust College... Holly Springs, Mississippi - Known as "Shaw University" until 1882.
Tougaloo College... Tougaloo College is a private, historically black, liberal arts institution, accessible to all persons regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion or creed. The College prepares students to be imaginative, self-directed, lifelong learners and mindful thinkers, committed to leadership and services in a global society by offering a high quality liberal studies program.
North Carolina... Barber-Scotia College... Concord, North Carolina - Founded as two institutions, Scotia Seminary and Barber Memorial College.
Bennett College... Bennett College - For Women - Greensboro, North Carolina.
Elizabeth City State University... Current enrollment being 2,470 students, the highest enrollment in the institution's history. Today, the faculty and student body are increasingly multicultural. There are 862 acres of land, of which 200 represent the campus proper.
Fayetteville State University... Fayetteville State University - A Constituent Institution of the University of North Carolina.
Johnson C. Smith University... Ranked twice by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best comprehensive colleges in the South, Johnson C. Smith University continues to be a leader among private liberal arts colleges in the nation.
Livingstone College... Livingstone College is a coeducational, residential, church related college located in Salisbury, the county seat of Rowan County, North Carolina.
North Carolina Central University... North Carolina Central University is a comprehensive university offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and selected doctoral levels.
Shaw University... Shaw University is the oldest historically Black university in the South. Located in Raleigh, NC.
Winston Salem State University... Winston-Salem State University is a premier public institution that develops the skills and values students need to contribute and succeed in the changing economy of the 21st Century.
Ohio... Central State University... Wilberforce, Ohio - Originally a department at Wilberforce University.
Wilberforce... Wilberforce University is a unique institution located in a state rich in America's private college tradition. Founded prior to the end of slavery in 1856, it is the nation's oldest, private African-American university.
Oklahoma... Langston University... Langston, Oklahoma - Founded as "Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University"
Lunet... Oklahoma’s only historically black college, (HBCU)—Langston University. Langston University, sits "high on a throne with royal mien."
Pennsylanvia ... Cheyney University ... Established in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cherishes its legacy as America’s oldest historically Black institution of higher education.
Lincoln University... During the first one hundred years of its existence, Lincoln graduated approximately 20 percent of the Black physicians and more than 10 percent of the Black attorneys in the United States.
South Carolina... Allen University... Columbia, South Carolina - Founded as "Payne Institute"
Benedict College... Columbia, South Carolina - Founded as "Benedict Institute"
Claflin College... In America's Best Colleges 2003, U.S. News & World Report ranks Claflin number 4 in the "Top Five" and a number two "Best Value" among Southern Comprehensive colleges for students working toward a bachelor's degree.
South Carolina State University... Since 1896, South Carolina State University has maintained a legacy of excellence in education.
Voorhees College... Voorhees College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Tennessee... Fisk University... Founded in 1866, Fisk University is one of America’s finest institutions of higher education. While the University has a strong foundation in the liberal arts, we pride ourselves in our contribution to the nation’s ranks of great scientists and businesspersons.
Lane College... Jackson, Tennessee - Founded as "Colored Methodist Episcopal High School.
LeMoyne-Owen College... Memphis, Tennessee - Founded as "LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School" (elementary school until 1870)
Meharry Medical College... Meharry Medical College which, since its founding in 1876, has provided superior health sciences education primarily to African Americans and other students of color.
Tennessee State University... Tennessee State University, located in Nashville, is a major, comprehensive urban land-grant institution offering 45 bachelor's degrees and 24 master's degrees.
Texas... Huston-Tillotson University... Austin, Texas - Founded as "Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute"
Jarvis Christian College... Jarvis Christian College has been affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since its inception. Jarvis is a residential campus that supports students during their college years.
Paul Quinn College... Paul Quinn College is an independent undergraduate, coeducational, residential institution that is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Prairie View A&M University... Founded in 1876, Prairie View A&M University is the second oldest institution of higher education in Texas. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 39 academic majors, 31 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools.
Southwestern Christian College... Southwestern Christian College, founded and sponsored by members of Churches of Christ, is accredited as a four-year (level II), educational college (limited to Bachelor's degree in Bible and Religious Education), with a two-year associate program in the liberal arts.
St. Philip's College... San Antonio, Texas - Founded as "St. Philip's Sewing Class for Girls.
Texas Southern University ... Founded as the Texas State University for Negroes and given its current moniker in 1951, the University's primary mission was to establish a creditable college for African American students.
Wiley College... Marshall, Texas - Named for Isaac William Wiley.
Virginia... Hampton University... Hampton University is a comprehensive institution of higher education dedicated to the promotion of learning, building of character, and preparation of promising students.
Norfolk State University... Norfolk, Virginia - Founded as "Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University"
St. Paul's College... Saint Paul's College is a a private, church-related, coeducational institution with a Christian heritage.
Virginia Union University... Virginia Union University has been teaching, working, improving, and growing into a highly respected private liberal arts institution.
West Virginia... Bluefield State College... As an historically black, open admissions institution, Bluefield State College prepares students for challenging careers, graduate study, informed citizenship, community involvement, and public service in an ever-changing global society.
“Philosophers have long conceded, however, that every man has two educators:
'that which is given to him, and the other that which he gives himself. Of the two
kinds the latter is by far the more desirable. Indeed all that is most worthy in man
he must work out and conquer for himself. It is that which constitutes our real and
best nourishment. What we are merely taught seldom nourishes the mind like that
which we teach ourselves.”
Carter G. Woodson, The Mis-education of the Negro
HBCU’s provide a chance to improve a life and look past mistakes, what sometimes
society tries to throw away, an opportunity to grow and change for the better.
Stated by Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Ph.D., “People often think of HBCU’s as places that
find services for needy students. This is just one argument made to justify HBCU’s
existence. HBCU’s do things that majority of college don’t do, that they are more
sensitive to certain things.” HBCU’s allow and encourage youth to mature and
inspire adults to elevate their cognitive growth.
Too many people especially in higher education forget their mistakes of youth, that
maybe from social challenges and even incarcerations they were given a second chance.
Higher education is the right for all citizens no matter their color, culture or creed.
HBCU’s recognize this that is why students are allowed to enroll to get their lives
back on track. Unique to HBCU’s instructors see that when a person enrolls they
already may have financial, social or family challenges; their desire to succeed is
stronger because there is a need to be in school and the rewards of education are
apparent.
Addressing the unique situations of students; Johnny Anderson a Southern University
graduate states that HBCU students, “they’re single parents, teen parents, folks working
two and three jobs to get ahead, dealing with a whole range of issues related to their
individualistic circumstances.”
Even in my class at EWC I have single parents, students working through medical
conditions and those that are working to mature into the person they need to be to move
forward in life. I have found that HBCU’s work to cultivate and provide remedial
assistance for students that truly do need help in academic areas. There are professionals
that are tops in their fields and contribute to society. If they had not received the help they
needed from an HBCU who know where they would end up.
“If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you
determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do.
If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior
status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you
do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back
door, his very nature will demand one.” Carter G. Woodson, The Mis-Education of the Negro
The growth of HBCU’s can be seen in data, in 2000 HBCU students were at 276,000, in 2009
the numbers were 323,000. Success continues to be shown in other studies, Inside Higher Education
has shown that HBCU’s enroll 18 percent of African Americans in higher education and graduate 30 percent of those who persist to graduation. They graduate 40 percent of African Americans who obtain degrees in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, 50 percent of
those who go on to become professors and 60 percent of those who major in engineering.
The surprising effectiveness of HBCU’s is that HBCUs are as effective in graduating African-American student’s equivalent to white institutions (Inside Higher Ed 2009). HBCU’S continue to take a risk
on students, giving them a chance when non Black institutions may not consider the potential within Black, Hispanic, Latino, Mexican, Haitian and South American students. Even the President of Spelman Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D. comments on the benefits of HBCU’s and the help they provide students, “what I don’t like is the continued question of why HBCU’s are still needed.” Just from the examples stated they are needed now and in the future. Students find themselves more challenged than ever before so HBCU’s provide an opportunity for higher education. Even in a recent speech about HBCU’s President Obama has claimed that HBCU’s are important to restore the U.S. to its higher ranking as a higher education power house.
HBCU graduates like Darryl “Topshelf” McClenton (FAMU 2010) are future leaders being positive
role models for others that strive for a college education and attending HBCU’s. His story is here: http://jos.jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/darryl-mcclenton
Moving into the 21st century for HBCU’s implementing advanced technology maybe a challenge,
but HBCU’S face challenges and still turn out capable and confident graduates. If not for the support
I received attending an HBCU (SCSU) I would possibly not have graduated and earned a Bachelors nor continued to strive and earn a Masters in Educational Technology.
As an instructor at Edward Waters College (Jacksonville, Florida) I find that there is a strong desire to obtain an education by the students that attend HBCU’s. The challenges that the students face are basically life itself. If Blacks are going to compete and contribute to society they must make education a priority for themselves and their children. Education does not always open the doors we think it should, change the minds and perceptions of Blacks by some in society, education empowers the spirit and the mind to press on and to overcome challenges.
Maya Angelo wrote in “Still I Rise”, “Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave”; holds true, not to let the challenges of life and the low expectations of people stop you from growing into a better person. Slaves even during the inhumanity of slavery understood the importance of education. Even with the threat of death did Blacks strive to learn to be educated and apply
their education to positive contributions to society. HBCU’s where established after slavery, based on
religious instruction, but also the desire for Black, African American, and minorities to grow into a
society that requires productivity from all.
HBCU teachers, teach from the heart and their experiences not from the microchip or for political gains or what is supposed to be politically correct. HBCU’s are important because they recognize the human element of learning and the growth and potential of their students. Malcolm X’s statement about education can still can be applied even in the 21st century,” “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” HBCU’s prepare future scholars that will influence the world in many career fields on national and international levels.
Our country still benefits from the education that HBCU’s provide, countries outside of the U.S. are
seeing this as well and sending their students to attend and experience the HBCU tradition of family bonding and cultural strengthening. HBCU’s still they rise through challenges, struggles and overcoming
obstacles that are no less than the travesty of slavery they were born from.
