H B C U
T I M E S
great hope for many Black men and women that yearned for higher education. The aftermath of Cheyney University saw the manifestation of other colleges such as University of the District of Colombia, which became the second HBCU in 1851, followed by Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in 1854 and Ohio-based Wilberforce University in 1856. The list of HBCUs grew for several years coming until many of them fell along the cracks as the challenges enumerated became tangible. Some started to fold due to a myriad of difficulties. A recent case in point is Cheyney University, which was on the verge of closing until the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) came to its rescue. HBCUs have remained home education to many Black men and women in America, Africa, and the Caribbean. HBCUs have become a place of cultural, intellectual, social, economic, and political diversity as many students from diverse backgrounds gather to train. For example, the first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, had the privilege of training at Lincoln University. ivil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, W.E.B. Du Bois, Rev. Jesse Jackson, among many others, have all benefited from the legacy of HBCUs. One of the many things that draw most Afrocentric students to HBCUs includes some superficial but equally relevant features: the similarity in looks, hairstyles, skin tones, food choices, and the convergence of first-generation college students across these campuses. Attributes such as these keep many students together in pursuance of success in the HBCU environments—bonds established on HBCU campuses run deep through family ties that go back to generations. But a great awakening of some sort in the HBCU story has been how funding for higher education institutions is skewed towards non- HBCUs such as Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). While these historical institutions may not have envisioned the battles ahead, several HBCUs serve as shining examples of courage under challenging times. INEQUITY IN FUNDING The last American Council on Education (ACE) report outlined the scope of inequity in federal and state government funding and investment in HBCUs. In a snapshot, public HBCUs are more dependent on federal and state funding than non-HBCUs, while private HBCUs heavily rely on tuition. In addition, private HBCUs receive a smaller number of personal gifts, contracts, and grants. Data from ACE points to a great irony: while HBCUs continue to struggle financially, these historical institutions continue to experience a decline in federal funding. Moreover, HBCUs’ endowments are lower than non-HBCUs’, like PWIs, —at least 70% behind. THE MOREHOUSE EXAMPLE HBCUs should be replicating the success stories of their own. The likes of Morehouse—an all-male college, have been a success story in STEM education. Morehouse remains a shining example that deserves all the accolades. The Atlanta- based college’s successes are attributed to capitalization on the
“HBCUs have been levers of social mobility and community shelters for Black people in America since the founding of the first institution, Cheyney University, in 1837.”
nation’s competitive demand of scientists and the lack of African Americans in these academic disciplines. Like the many other HBCUs, Morehouse has produced very influential individuals like Spike Lee, Howard Thurman, Herman Cain, and Eddie Glaude, to name a few. HBCU stories have been about denying Black men and women educational rights and about inequality in the funding of Morgan State University, Coppin State University, Bowie State University, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore−the four historically Black colleges and universities in the state of Maryland. But more importantly, the HBCU story is about the Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) in science and mathematics at Morehouse that encourages and teaches young Black men to become scientists. The inspiration is all about how Morehouse is making these young men ready to live in a STEM world—a career path that hardly gets a front seat discussion in many African American homes. The HBCU story is also about The Morehouse Mystique, which instills in students a character of leadership and a sense of comradery. HBCUs today aren’t just a place to obtain knowledge. Recent police brutalities and the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have flipped the story to a reassuring chapter that tells stories of HBCUs as a safer place for higher education. The challenges of HBCUs may be far from over. However, opportunities like the recent rise in enrollment numbers of HBCUs call for strategic positioning of these historical institutions for a future that will capitalize on all funding sources available. HBCUs have been levers of social mobility and community shelters for Black people in America
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