Historically black colleges and universities

**Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)** be higher learning schools for U.S. wey dem build before de Civil Rights Act for 1964. Demma main aim for wey dem start am be to serve Black people (African Americans) wey no dey get access to proper education dat time. Chaw of de HBCU schools dey de Southern part of America, wey dem start bunch of dem for de **Reconstruction era** (1865–1877) after de American Civil War end. De main reason wey dem build dem schools be say ego give African-Americans chance to go school at dat time, secof na chaw of de universities den colleges for de U.S. no dey allow Black people register.

For de reconstruction era insyd, chaw of de old-time Black schools (HBCUs) wey dem build back then, na **Protestant churches** den religious groups start dem. Dis whole thing change for 1890 wen de U.S. Congress pass de **Second Morrill Act**. De law talk say any Southern state wey still dey separate Black den White gees for build public higher schools for Black people if dem wan enjoy de benefits under de Act. For de 19th century, some schools wey start include Black people anaa later get recognition as schools wey dey serve minorities, come turn into **Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)**.

## Dema History
Some HBCU schools wey dem build before the American Civil War dey include **Cheyney University of Pennsylvania**, wey start for **1837,** **University of the District of Columbia** (wey dem dey call **Miner School for Colored Girls** that time) wey begin for **1851**, and **Lincoln University** wey start for **1854**. **Wilberforce University** too be one of de schools wey dem establish before de war start. Dem build de university for **1856** thru collaboration between de **African Methodist Episcopal Church for Ohio** den de mainly white **Methodist Episcopal Church**.

For de early days, na people dey argue plenty about HBCUs. For de **1847 National Convention of Colored People and Their Friends**, some prominent Black speakers like **Frederick Douglass**, **Henry Highland Garnet**, den **Alexander Crummell** debate whether dem really need those kind schools. **Crummell** talk say HBCUs be important so say Black people go get freedom from discrimination. Buh **Douglass** den **Garnet** talk say if Black people separate demma body a, e go rather harm de community. Las las, majority of de people for de meeting vote say make dem support HBCUs. After de American Civil War, chaw HBCUs come start for de **Southern part** of U.S., den religious missionary groups from de **North**, especially de **American Missionary Association**, help build plenty of dem. De **Freedmen’s Bureau** too play big role by giving money to support dese new schools.

### Predominantly Black institutions
Predominantly Black institutions (PBI) be institutions wey no dey meet de legal definition of HBCUs, buh primarily serve African Americans. Some examples of PBIs be Georgia State University, Chicago State University, Trinity Washington University, den de Community College of Philadelphia.

### Florida's Black junior colleges
After de landmark *Brown v. Board of Education* decision of 1954, de legislature of Florida, plus support from various counties, dem open eleven junior colleges wey dey serve de African-American population. Na dema purpose be make dem show wey na separate but equal education dey work insyd Florida. Prior to dis, na der be only junior college per insyd Florida wey dey serve African Americans, Booker T. Washington Junior College, insyd Pensacola, dem found insyd 1949. Na de new ones be Gibbs Junior College (1957), Roosevelt Junior College (1958), Volusia County Junior College (1958), Hampton Junior College (1958), Rosenwald Junior College (1958), Suwannee River Junior College (1959), Carver Junior College (1960), Collier-Blocker Junior College (1960), Lincoln Junior College (1960), Jackson Junior College (1961), den Johnson Junior College (1962).
## HBCUs Current Status
Every year, de **U.S. Department of Education** choose one week for fall season as **"National HBCU Week."** During dat week, dem dey do conferences and events wey focus on talking about den celebrating HBCUs. Dem sanso take dem chance honor top scholars den past students (alumni) from those schools.
### Racial diversity post-2000
As na chaw HBCUs make a concerted effort make dem maintain enrollment levels den often offer relatively affordable tuition, na de percentage of non–African-American enrollment rise. De following table dey highlight HBCUs plus high non–African American enrollments:

**Oda HBCUs plus relatively high non–African American student populations**

According to de *U.S. News & World Report* Best Colleges 2011 edition, na de proportion of White American students at Langston University be 12%; at Shaw University, 12%; at Tennessee State University, 12%; at de University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 12%; den at North Carolina Central University, 10%. De *U.S. News & World Report* ein statistical profiles dey indicate say chaw oda HBCUs get relatively significant percentages of non–African American student populations wey dey consist of Asian, Hispanic, white American, den foreign students.
## Notable HBCU alumni
HBCUs get a rich legacy of matriculating chaw leaders insyd de fields of business, law, science, education, military service, entertainment, art, den sports.

* Ralph Abernathy, civil rights activist, minister – Clark Atlanta University, Alabama State University
* Ed Bradley, first black White House correspondent for CBS News - Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
* Toni Braxton, Grammy-winning R&B artist plus over 70 million records sold - Bowie State
* Edward Brooke, first African-American dem elect by popular vote to United States Senate den to serve as Massachusetts Attorney General - Howard University
* Roscoe Lee Browne, prolific actor den director - Lincoln University
* James Clyburn, US Congressman from South Carolina's 6th congressional district den Majority Whip of de 116th United States Congress – South Carolina State University
* Medgar Wiley Evers, civil rights leader - Alcorn State University
* NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson attend West Virginia State University.
* Althea Gibson, de first African American to win a Grand Slam title get a full athletic scholarship to Florida A&M University
* Nikki Giovanni, poet – Fisk University
* Alcee Hastings, US Congressman from Florida's 20th congressional district – Fisk University, Howard University, Florida A&M University
* Randy Jackson, original judge on American Idol - Southern University
* Lonnie Johnson, inventor, NASA engineer – Tuskegee University
* Tom Joyner, first African-American dem induct into de National Radio Hall of Fame - Tuskegee University
* Reginald Lewis, first African-American to build den own a billion dollar company - Virginia State
* Claude McKay, poet, Tuskegee University
* Astronaut Ronald McNair graduate from North Carolina A&T State University.
* Rod Paige, first African-American to serve as de U.S. education chief - Jackson State University
* Walter Payton, dem consider am one of de greatest running backs insyd NFL history – Jackson State University
* Anika Noni Rose, de original voice of de first African American Disney princess (Tiana) - Florida A&M University
* Jerry Rice, dem consider am de greatest NFL wide receiver of all-time - Mississippi Valley State
* Stephen A. Smith, well-known sports journalist den television personality - Winston-Salem State University
* Megan Thee Stallion, Grammy-winning rapper den actress - Texas Southern
* Leon H. Sullivan, developer of de Sullivan Principles dem use to end apartheid insyd South Africa, attend West Virginia State University.
* Wanda Sykes, Emmy-winning comedian, novelist, writer, and actress – Hampton University
* André Leon Talley, first African-American editor-at-large of *Vogue* - Virginia State
* Na de Tuskegee Airmen be educated at Tuskegee University.
* Alice Walker, novelist den poet – Spelman College
* Ben Wallace, former 4-time NBA All-Star den NBA Defensive Player of de Year - Virginia Union University
* Doug Williams, first black NFL quarterback to win a Super Bowl - Grambling State
* Tramell Tillman, actor - Xavier University of Louisiana

File:Booker T Washington retouched flattened-crop.jpg|Booker T. Washington, educator, orator, and advisor (Hampton)
File:WEB DuBois 1918.jpg|W. E. B. Du Bois, sociologist, historian, den activist (Fisk)
File:Thurgoodmarshall1967.jpg|Thurgood Marshall, first black Supreme Court justice (Lincoln, Howard)
File:Martin Luther King Jr NYWTS.jpg|Martin Luther King Jr., leader of de civil rights movement (Morehouse)
File:Toni Morrison.jpg|Toni Morrison, acclaimed novelist den Nobel laureate (Howard)
File:AFGE Meets with Rev. Jesse Jackson (10196120025) (1).jpg|Jesse Jackson, minister den politician (North Carolina A&T)
File:Spike Lee at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg|Spike Lee, film director den producer (Morehouse)
File:SamuelLJacksonCCJuly2010.jpg|Samuel L. Jackson, actor den film producer (Morehouse)
File:Ruth J. Simmons (cropped).jpg|Ruth Simmons, first African American presido insyd de Ivy League (Dillard)
File:Oprah in 2014.jpg|Oprah Winfrey, talk show host den media mogul (Tenn State)
File:Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait (cropped).jpg|Kamala Harris, Vice Pee of de United States (Howard)
File:-Hidden Figures- Film Celebration (NHQ201612100020) (cropped).jpg|Taraji P. Henson, actress (Howard)
File:Chadwick Boseman (28017825484) (cropped 2).jpg|Chadwick Boseman, actor den playwright (Howard)
File:Common (12964) (cropped, Common).jpg|Common, rapper den actor (Florida A&M)
File:Strahan 2021 FOX (cropped).jpg|Michael Strahan, NFL Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, TV personality, den actor (Texas Southern)
File:Erykah Badu 2008.07.14 004.jpg|Erykah Badu, singer, entrepreneur, den actress (Grambling State)
File:Leontyne Price (color) by Jack Mitchell.jpg|Leontyne Price, internationally acclaimed soprano (Central State)
File:Lionel Richie 2019.jpg|Lionel Richie, singer, songwriter, record producer, den TV personality (Tuskegee)
File:Joycelyn Elders official portrait (cropped).jpg|Joycelyn Elders, first African American Surgeon General of the U.S. (Philander Smith)
File:Stacey Abrams by Gage Skidmore.jpg|Stacey Abrams, voting rights leader, lawyer, den author (Spelman)

## References


## Read further
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* Boonshoft, Mark. "Histories of Nineteenth-Century Education and the Civil War Era."  *Journal of the Civil War Era*  12.2 (2022): 234–261.
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### Primary sources

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## External links

* National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator information about HBCUs
* HBCU Sports history
* National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO)—national membership association of all of the nation's HBCUs and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)