In honor of Black History Month, Ohrstrom Library is celebrating graduates of historically black colleges and universities (otherwise known as HBCUs) who became authors–essayists, historians, novelists, poets, and more. But first, we asked Ms. Yarborough to give us a little history lesson…
The term “HBCU” originates with the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded federal funding for colleges and universities. Most HBCU institutions were founded before 1965, however, with the express purpose of offering educational opportunities to Black Americans during a time when Black students were largely unable to pursue post-secondary education due to racial discrimination (Stefon).
The first historically black colleges and universities were established in Pennsylvania and Ohio during the antebellum period, with Cheyney University of Pennsylvania being the first HBCU to open its doors in 1837 (Stefon). That’s nineteen years before St. Paul’s School was founded! During the Reconstruction era, the number of HBCUs greatly increased. Many of these HBCUs were created with the help of the Freedmen’s Bureau, an organization put in place by Congress to ease previously enslaved peoples’ transition to freedom and create a free-labor society in the former Confederate States (Behrend). Some of these schools include Atlanta University (1865; now Clark Atlanta University), Howard University (1867), and Morehouse College (1867; originally the Augusta Institute) (Stefon). The institutionalization of racial segregation in the South and throughout the United States following Reconstruction led HBCUs to become an academic necessity and social refuge for Black Americans throughout the 20th century.
Following the long process of educational desegregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the choice of colleges and universities started opening up for Black Americans while systemic inequities within education remained (“Brown v. Board”). Throughout the US’s ever-shifting academic landscape, HBCUs have remained bastions of Black excellence in education, offering supportive academic communities for students interested in liberal arts schools, research institutions, and technical training. Their academic missions focus on uplifting students through inclusive education, community-building, and cultural awareness and many HBCUs have impressively active alum networks who carry these ideals beyond the halls of their respective institutions and into their professional communities.
Interested in reading the work of an HBCU graduate? Come on in and check out our Baker Reading Room display!
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