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since the founding of the first institution, Cheyney University, in 1837. For more than a century, HBCUs have disproportionately supported the production of middle-class Black Americans despite severe underfunding and purposeful disinvestment. HBCUs consistently overproduce, accounting for only 3% of public and not-for-profit institutions, yet enroll almost 10% of African American college students nationwide, while yielding 17% of the bachelor’s degrees and a quarter of the STEM degrees earned by Black students. Despite their critical role in producing Black graduates, the state underfunding of HBCUs has been documented in various cases, including the recent landmark HBCU Maryland case which netted $577 million to the state’s four public HBCUs. Even the Office of Legislative and Budget Analysis recently announced that the state of Tennessee withheld between $141 million and $544 million in land-grant funds to Tennessee State University between 1957 and 2007. But this is not the only sector that hasn’t invested in HBCUs, the gap in private gifts, grants and contracts between ultra-rich universities−institutions of higher education with endowments valued at more than $1 billion−and HBCUs in 2018 was $227 million, which is $100 million more than the gap in 2010. This lack of investment in HBCUs is a lack of investment in their missions to serve underserved communities and students. In comparison to their peers, though HBCUs enroll 2.1 times more Pell eligible or students from low-income families, have a significantly higher population of first-generation students at more than 50%, and educate almost 75% Black student population, their graduates are 51% more likely to move into a higher income quintile after graduation. Beyond that, HBCUs significantly contribute to the well- being of their students: HBCU graduates report higher social, purpose, community, financial, employee and physical well- being than their non-HBCU peers. The familial environment created to provide the wrap-around services required for under- resourced students also proves successful in producing graduates satisfied with their experience and prepared to be successful in the workforce demonstrated by their production of Black professionals including the creation of 80% of Black judges, 50% of Black doctors and lawyers, and 40% of Black engineers. This success is seen with HBCUs educating just 10% of the Black student population. As we focus on equity and addressing the needs of the most underserved communities and people as well as uplifting society, HBCUs will be a critical component of any plan. The necessity of their role was highlighted as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, where the populations they are committed to serving were most affected. HBCUs mobilized to serve as testing sites, vaccination sites, provide shelter for students suffering from housing insecurity and to operate as food pantries. They were also particularly successful at preventing virus spread during on-
campus instruction with HBCUs reporting significantly lower infection rates than their peers. Additionally, HBCUs’ success at producing Black doctors will be critical to addressing health disparities also extended by the pandemic. HBCUs will play a significant role in reversing the recent economic downturn, particularly in the Southeastern US−where there are lower levels of economic well-being and where most HBCUs are located. In this area, they generate $14.8 billion annually in economic activity, producing positive economic benefits, critical for the recovery of our nation. HBCUs continue to be indispensable for educational, economic, cultural, and societal gains for Black Americans and deserve more resources and an increased focus on their work for society. As we work towards creating more equitable outcomes for society, HBCUs remain pivotal to ensuring we achieve those endeavors.
Abdul-Hakeem Imoro is a final year doctoral candidate in the Higher Education Administration Leadership and Policy program at Widener University Center for Education. He is a scholar- practitioner whose research interests focus on education policy, public policy, and journalism. His work addresses equity, diversity, and inclusion; curriculum development; institutional effectiveness; and student success in higher education. He lived and worked in Ghana as a journalist for five years. You can follow him on Twitter @Theedupolicy
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