College is a challenging and formative time. Students must navigate heavy coursework, as well as demands outside the classroom — from leadership roles at student organizations to new relationships, and life away from home. For students at historically Black colleges and universities, the experience is particularly poignant, as they are surrounded by many peers and […]
Education
Howard Will Lead 9 HBCUs in a Pentagon-funded Research Project. Students are Pushing Back.
The U.S. military is eager to tap into the talent network of the country’s historically Black colleges, which graduate nearly a quarter of all Black STEM professionals. Some students aren’t as excited about the relationship. Howard University is the first HBCU in the country to lead such a project, partnering with the U.S. Air Force […]
The U.S. Supreme Court Seems Ready to Gut Affirmative Action
This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority is anticipated to end affirmative action, which for decades has sought to remedy a bruising legacy of discrimination against marginalized groups, including Black Americans. Nearly 10 years ago, Students for Fair Admissions, an organization headed by Edward Blum, a stockbroker turned conservative legal strategist, filed lawsuits against […]
Parent PLUS Loans Can Debilitate Black Families. Here’s What to Know.
For Black parents looking to help their children pay for an education at a historically Black college or university, Parent PLUS loans have become a common choice. Congress created the loans as a way for middle- and upper-income parents to help their children pay for college. But over time, they’ve become the answer for many […]
The Surprising Gap in How Democratic- and GOP-led School Districts Talk About Diversity
Classrooms have reemerged as sites of political conflict over discussions about identity — and these tensions are reflected in how public school districts frame their educational values to students, according to an analysis released this week by the Pew Research Center. Pew found that in Democratic-voting areas, 56% of districts note their diversity, equity, and […]
HBCUs Feel Like a Return Home for Women Reenrolling After Years Away
Doris Mackins had been retired for more than a decade when she decided to return to Coppin State University to finish her degree in 2022. The 68-year-old said her decision to return to higher education was a spontaneous one — she was excited by the opportunity. This semester, Mackins is completing her last 12 credits […]
Can the Increase in Higher Education Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Solve Health Disparities?
As a young girl, Shaunessey Burks remembers walking up to the plant where her grandfather worked. Pierced in her memory were the fumes radiating from inside the building, where no one was wearing protective equipment. There was no barrier between her grandfather and the hazardous chemicals floating in the air he was breathing. Years later, […]
What’s Missing in Financial Literacy Courses in School? Experts Explain.
At least 15 states have joined the growing movement to make financial literacy a requirement for high school graduation. Utah became the first to require a half-credit financial literacy class as a graduation mandate in 2004. Today, eight states require a stand-alone course that provides students with an understanding of personal finance and skills to […]
The College Board’s Race Problem
History teacher Valanna White found herself in a quandary last fall when an administrator at her Tennessee high school pulled her syllabus for Advanced Placement U.S. Government. The course is designed to give students an analytical perspective on American government and its political system. But it was the unit on civil rights and civil liberties […]
GOP States Are Targeting AP Black Studies. Here’s How Kids Can Learn It Outside of School.
This story has been updated. At least four Republican-led states are considering whether a new African American Studies course is in compliance with its laws that restrict lessons on race, following Florida’s ban on the proposed course last month. Officials in education departments in Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Virginia are reviewing the advanced placement […]

