Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African American community. This was because the overwhelming majority of predominantly white institutions of higher-learning disqualified African Americans from enrollment during segregation. Some of these schools – such as Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (1837) and Harris-Stowe State (1857) were established as early as the 1830s but the majority of HBCUs (i.e., Clark Atlanta, Alabama State University, Fisk University, Howard University and Morehouse College) were founded after the Civil War. Their emergence parallels the emergence of The Seven Sisters Colleges founded between founded between 1837 and 1889. HBCUs have a rich history of matriculating many African American leaders in the fields of business, law, science, education, military service, entertainment, art and sports.
“HBCUs are a source of accomplishment and great pride for the African American community as well as the entire nation. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines 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.” HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents. These institutions train young people who go on to serve domestically and internationally in the professions as entrepreneurs and in the public and private sectors.” (White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities )
Alabama A&M University (1857)
Bennett College (1873)
Clark Atlanta University (1865)
Fisk University (1866)
Florida A&M University (1887)
Hampton University (1868)
Howard University (1867)
Huston-Tillotson University (1875)
Meharry Medical College (1876)
Morehouse College (1867)
Spelman College (1881)
St.Augustine’s University (1867)
Talladega College (1867)
Tuskegee University (1881)