Celebrating HBCUs During Black History Month

February is Black History Month. While many historical and current individuals are being honored for their contributions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, better known as HBCUs, should also be recognized.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 defined an HBCU 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."

In 1980, President Carter signed an executive order establishing a federal program "... to overcome the effects of discriminatory treatment and to strengthen and expand the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide quality education."

In the thirty-one years since, every sitting President of the United States has signed additional executive orders to expand the reach of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, including creating a Presidential Advisory Board to inform the President of issues affecting the higher education of African-American students. This includes President Obama who renewed the Initiative on February 26, 2010.  

There are 105 HBCUs, both public and private, in nineteen states, plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. These campuses enroll more than 300,000 students who are experiencing the mission of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, "To strengthen the capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to provide excellence in education."

As is true for more traditional colleges/universities, some schools enjoy a heightened level of popularity among prospective students. Some of the more prominent HBCUs include:

Alcorn State University (Lorman, MS)

Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)

Dillard University (New Orleans, LA)

Fisk University (Nashville, TN)

Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, FL)

Grambling State University (Grambling, LA)

Hampton University (Hampton, VA)

Howard University (Washington, DC)

Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA)

Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX)

Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)

Xavier University (New Orleans, LA)

Some of our country's greatest leaders, entertainment industry giants, and athletic powerhouses are graduates of HBCU campuses. Here is a short list of examples:

Debbie Allen (Howard University)

Erykah Badu (Grambling State University)

WEB Dubois (Fisk University)

Medgar Evers (Alcorn State University)

Langston Hughes (Lincoln University, PA)

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (Morehouse College)

Ronald McNair (North Carolina A&T State University)

Walter Payton (Jackson State University)

Jerry Rice (Mississippi State Valley University)

Ruben Studdard (Alabama A&M University)

Alice Walker (Spelman College)

Booker T. Washington (Hampton University)

Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State University)

A great connectivity resource for prospective, current, and alumni students of HBCUs is HBCUConnect. The website (and its magazine) makes available a list of all of the HBCUs, scholarship opportunities, positions open for internships and full-time employment, as well as articles and blogs posted by HBCUConnect members.