Celebrating the Comeback of HBCUs

The Resurgence of HBCUs

By Ryan Kouame

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) foster a sense of belonging for students of color, provide tools for economic advancement and produce some of the nation’s greatest leaders, like Martin Luther King, Jr., Kamala Harris, Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, Toni Morrison and Oprah Winfrey. HBCUs were established after the end of slavery by Black and other leaders in communities throughout the country because most colleges and universities in the South did not allow African Americans to attend these segregated institutions.

Notable HBCU Graduates

Photo by BiksuTong / Shutterstock.com

Vice President of the United States and Howard University graduate, Kamala Harris

Photo by Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com Actor and 1972 graduate of Morehouse College, Samuel L. Jackson

Photo by Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com

President Barack Obama presents Howard University graduate and novelist, Toni Morrison, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

There are about 106 HBCUs in the U.S. making up three percent of the nation’s colleges and universities but producing 20 percent of African American graduates, according to an article published on uncf. org in April 2020. Although HBCUs have been around, they have gained more

attention and funding over the past few years. With tuition and student debt on a steady incline, this rise in interest and enrollment suggests their relevance in education is more important now than ever.

The Howard University Showtime Marching Band

Money Matters

Tuition rates at HBCUs are nearly thirty percent lower than most predominantly White schools while providing the same caliber of education, if not higher, which creates a larger return on investment and lowers student loan debt. For example, a semester for a 2021-2022 undergraduate student at a prestigious Black school like Howard University is $28,450 compared to an Ivy League school like Harvard where tuition comes in at $67,720. Affordable tuition is vital because African American households are more likely to incur student debt due to a lack of funding and scholarships.

The United Negro College Fund reported last year that nearly 54 percent of Black college graduates between the ages of 25 and 40 have student loan debt compared to 39 percent of White college graduates. The Gallup-Purdue poll, an index study that provides insights

and measurements for meaningful improvements in higher education, found that the unemployment rate for recent African American college graduates was 56 percent compared to the 44 percent of their White counterparts.

The growth in HBCU enrollment, grants, and donations generate more funding and increases the quality of education and opportunities for students, which in turn

establishes equity by leveling the playing field for scholarships, housing, equipment and diversified programs –– ultimately dispelling the rumor many argue that going to an HBCU means sacrificing the quality of education.

“I would attribute the spike in HBCU enrollment to the large financial endorsements being given to HBCUs by Fortune 500 companies and notable public figures as well as the spotlight currently being placed on the importance of advancing diverse talent during a time where the systemic ills of the world are being brought to light like never before,” said Morehouse College graduate, Ivor Hypolite. Notably, Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife, donated $40 million to Morgan State University.

Ivor Hypolite

Photo courtesy of Ivor Hypolite Reba Brown

Photo courtesy of Reba Brown

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Morehouse College Mock Trial team winning an award in 2006

Campus Climate

HBCUs provide safe, inclusive, and nurturing spaces for low-income, firstgeneration and academically underprepared students. Students report feeling more comfortable and secure at HBCUs. They say they perform academically at their best and participate in clubs, organizations, fraternities, and sororities that serve their interests.

“I was able to learn more about African-American heritage, establish close relationships with my peers and professors in intimate class settings and I was able to study abroad at no cost to my family. This is where I reinforced my love for learning while being immersed in different cultures with people who want to see us win, not those who tolerate us solely for the utilization of our talents and abilities,” said Texas Southern University graduate, Reba Brown.

Many HBCUs were founded by leaders in the Black church, so they are rooted in values like faith, community, and service to others. HBCUs provide great value and produce students with great values. Black students are able to learn, create, grow, and mature where there is nurturing and acceptance, and with staff and professors that truly care about their well-being.

“I chose to attend Morehouse College because of its rich history and legacy,” Hypolite said. He added, “I gained a lifelong cohort of brothers, had the opportunity to sing with artists like John Legend, Common, and Jessye Norman, traveled to South Africa and Zimbabwe as a member of the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program, and even met the CEO of Netflix and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) as a UNCF scholar. “I wouldn’t have received such a culturally enriched educational experience at any other institution.”

Howard University Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Robert Palmer, told Forbes Magazine in a May 2021 article that he attributes the increase in HBCU enrollment to racism becoming more clear and more pronounced in society during and after the Trump era. HBCUs provided a haven for Black students and educators who were searching for educational spaces where they could be their authentic selves, which is not always guaranteed at predominantly White schools, and society in general. “Students chose to apply to HBCUs because they knew they would feel safe there,” Palmer said.

“As a person who had the unique experience of attending both a predominantly White school and an HBCU, I chose to transfer to Howard University because I felt I was lacking in the cultural department,” said Howard University graduate, Sasha Gilmer. “I grew up living in mostly white neighborhoods and going to white Christian schools until my sophomore year in high school. I wanted to experience school surrounded by like-minded people.”

Gilmer said she was always considered the “smart Black girl” and with that label came microaggressions. “I felt like I had to perform, and I wanted to be in a space where there was no need to code-switch,” she added. “All my friends from Howard are smart Black queens and all of us are ambitious. I didn’t get to experience that until I went to Howard.”

Attending an HBCU goes far beyond just getting an education, it provides the opportunity to educate the mind in a space that feeds and nurtures the soul. P

“All my friends from Howard are smart Black queens and all of us are ambitious. I didn’t get to experience that until I went to Howard.”

— Sasha Gilmer

Sasha Gilmer

CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY REMAINS A TOP TEN INSTITUTION IN U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT’S 2022 LIST OF BEST HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

“Claflin University not only survived—we thrived,” proclaimed Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack last fall after looking back at how quickly the University’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni adapted to the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By transitioning to innovative teaching and learning modules, and working cohesively as a team; essential administrative functions, academic departments, and other University programs continued to operate effectively. Despite numerous challenges associated with COVID-19, Claflin achieved national accreditation for the School of Education, approval to launch the new Master of Science in Nursing program during the Fall 2021 semester, and record-breaking fundraising success.

Claflin’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed as U.S. News and World Report ranked Claflin in the “Top 10” on its list of the nation’s Best Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) for the 11thconsecutive year.

Claflin is the only HBCU in South Carolina ranked in the “Top 10.”

The prestigious publication ranked Claflin seventh in the Best Regional Colleges in the South category. Institutions in this group focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

Claflin was third in the U.S. News ranking of the Top Performers on Social Mobility for Regional Colleges in the South. Claflin is among the colleges that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of students awarded Pell Grants.

“These rankings reflect our ongoing commitment to academic excellence and student success. They also serve as a tribute to our outstanding faculty and staff which during the past year, redefined teaching and learning at Claflin during a global pandemic,” said Warmack. “We applaud our students who also persevered and continued to pursue their dreams of earning a Claflin degree. Our leal and loyal alumni contributed to our impressive rankings by continuing to give generously to support our students and the mission of this historic University.”

The U.S. News & World Report’s Best HBCU ranking measures the quality of undergraduate education at historically Black colleges and universities. These HBCUs were compared only with one another for this ranking. A school must currently be listed as part of the White House and U.S. Department of Education's Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to be included in U.S. News' HBCU ranking. To qualify for this U.S. News ranking, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureategranting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students and must be a school that is part of the 2022 Best Colleges rankings. In total, 79 HBCUs were eligible to be included on the list; 78 of those were ranked, and one was unranked.

Regional Colleges rankings are split into four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.

Claflin also made U.S. News and World Report’s lists of colleges recognized for efforts to achieve economic diversity and as a Best Undergraduate Computer Science Program among the Regional Colleges in the South.