Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a long history of developing influential scholars and leaders. These institutions represent the foundation of African-American success stories through leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall and Toni Morrison.
However, despite the increase of African-American students enrolling in college over the last 40 years, the number of students choosing HBCUs has decreased from 18.4 percent in 1976 to 8 percent in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Some experts suggests that the decrease in the number of Black students attending an HBCU is tied to changes or cuts to government financial aid, poor institutional leadership, negative perceptions and lack of equitable funding. Despite these challenges, HBCUs have continued to provide quality education for African-American students that is normally overlooked because of unfair comparisons to predominantly White institutions (PWI).
Traditionally, mainstream media has elevated stories of Black students’ academic success when it is coupled with their acceptance or attendance at PWIs while ignoring equally impressive Black students attending HBCUs.
For example, an increasingly common practice among media outlets is that they feature success stories of high-achieving Black students such as Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, Kelly Hyles, Kwasi Enin and others who were accepted to Ivy League institutions. However, this same level of recognition is not conferred upon Black students who are equally academically gifted but decide to attend an HBCU such as Emmanuel Blake Dawson – who amassed over $1 million in scholarships and will attend FAMU – or when then 13-year-old triple major Stephen Stafford enrolled at Morehouse College, becoming the youngest enrollee in Morehouse’s 150-year history.
Further, Black students often face ridicule and backlash when they choose to attend HBCUs in favor of PWIs. For example, Ralph Jones Jr., a former FAMU student, was criticized for his choice of an HBCU over Harvard University. This difference in recognition can imply that HBCUs are not recognized as places of academic excellence for Black students.
Media outlets have highlighted PWIs as liberators of Black students who are low-income and first-generation, despite HBCUs catering to these types of students for decades. For example, Eboni Boykin, a Black homeless teen, was recognized for her achievements after acquiring a scholarship to Columbia University. The St. Louis Dispatch wrote that “…her ascent to the Ivy League is what is possible….”
