Yet, many outside the Black community do not know much about these illustrious institutions, how their existence has countered the narrative of White supremacy, and how-despite the effects of discriminatory funding-they have continued to survive for over a century.Ī fuller understanding of the history and current financial standing of HBCUs is more important than ever. HBCUs are engines of upward mobility 5 and job creation 6 for their graduates, and these recent investments are imperative if the nation is to see progress in racial, social, and economic equity.

With an increase in enrollment, 2 athletic programs hiring former NFL players as football coaches, 3 and recruiting top student-athletes, 4 the spotlight on HBCUs brings positive press and gifts unlike anything seen in recent years. HBCUs have always had dynamic faculty to challenge and develop the minds of students, and now we see Howard University continue to build on that legacy with its recent hiring of Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehesi Coates. Their mission has manifested in the development of the next generations of leaders, 1 including Vice President Kamala Harris, voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, Senator Raphel Warnock, and White House senior advisor Cedric Richmond, to name a few. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are having more than a moment, and they are finally getting recognition for the contributions they have made to this country.

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