THE STATUS OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have made a significant impact in American life. HBCUs make up only 3% of the nation’s four year colleges but they have educated 50% of black teachers, 50% of its black doctors, and 80% of the nation’s black judges, 40% of the black engineers, 40% of the black members of Congress, and 13% of the black CEOs in the nation today (Hill, 2019). HBCUs have played a major role in creating and maintaining the black middle class. It is important for these schools to survive. In total, the nation’s HBCUs generate $14.8 billion economic impact annually and generate 134, 000 jobs for their local and regional economies. The presence of an HBCU boosts economic activity beyond the campus. It leads to stronger communities and a more developed workforce (UNCF, 2014). However state funding cuts, declining enrollment, increasing competition, and lack of alumni support threaten the future of HBCUs.