In the years after the Civil War, there were millions of newly-freed Black children and adults who emerged from slavery worn, but eager and determined to get something they never had--a chance to learn how to read the Bible, write their names and words on a page, and be educated. Even before the Civil War, some Blacks in the North were pressing…

In this article, the author profiles Dolores E. Cross, who, during her more than 30-year academic career, has advocated for multicultural education, championed equal education access for all students, and blazed trails as the first African-American female president of Chicago State University and the first female president of Morris Brown College.…

While it has been just two years since Dr. Lorenzo Esters joined the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, or APLU, his efforts to orchestrate new partners while forging coalitions appear to be yielding fruit. Dr. Esters is charged with representing the interests of 18 Black land-grant colleges and public Black colleges and…

This article features six Texas Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) which continue the mission of educating African-American students, while at the same time responding to the state's changing demographics. These are: (1) Huston-Tillotson University, Austin; (2) Paul Quinn College, Dallas; (3) Prairie View A&M University,…

After shepherding more than a dozen Black Mississippi plaintiffs in the landmark Ayers v. Fordice case for nearly 30 years, Alvin O. Chambliss Jr. says he never would have agreed to a $503 million settlement agreement as restitution for the state's three historically Black universities or a portion of the $2.5 million the court allocated for…

Profiles attorney Alvin O. Chambliss, Jr., and his fight in "Ayers v. Fordice" to desegregate Mississippi's higher education system. (EV)

A report issued by the American Association of University Professors' Committee on Historically Black Institutions and the Status of Minorities in the Profession is critical of the lack of state support for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and contends that "United States versus Fordice" will result in elimination of…

For decades, hundreds of foreign-born Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and other South Asian scholars say they have found refuge, a welcome mat, and opportunity at many of the U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). They say they have also found a culture that is less formal than what they experienced at predominantly White…

Since their founding in segregation, the nation's historically Black colleges and universities have been studies in resourcefulness, contrasts, resoluteness, possibilities and miracles. But have the past 20 years marked the worst of times for these venerable, public and private institutions? Despite their problems--fractured budgets, ailing and…

Selection of JoAnn Horton as the new president of Texas Southern University after the resignation of Dr. William Harris is criticized as not providing strong enough leadership for the African-American public institution. Some fear that, because all institutions are open to African Americans, the need for separate African-American institutions will…

Some white and non-African faculty at historically black colleges are challenging the traditional role of those institutions with claims of racial discrimination and lawsuits and are often winning. Diversity is a central issue. The problem is expensive to address, and most institutions can not afford full-time legal counsel. (MSE)

There has been a notable shift in the faculty demographics of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Fewer doctorates awarded to African Americans in recent years means that HBCUs are relying increasingly on non-African-American and foreign professors to educate their students. Better support of African-American education is needed.…

In an interview, Lawrence Kaggwa, developer of journalism programs at historically black colleges and founder of the Black College Communication Association, discusses the state of journalism education for black students, student attitudes, the value of student experience on campus newspapers, the journalism faculty member's role, and problems…

At Coppin State University, a historically Black university, nearly 120 ninth-graders are enrolled in the Coppin Academy. The academy is one of nearly a dozen such innovative school partnerships nationwide, aiming to apply study results that suggest that African-American students may perform better in smaller, more personalized learning…

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education are developing a two-year support program to bolster existing teacher education programs in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), offering consultants to help prepare for improvement and for national accreditation.…