From the outside looking in, competing for the title of “Miss” and “Mister” (also known as the kings and queens) may just look like a pageant or another exclusive title held on HBCU campuses. In reality, those elected for these roles serve as ambassadors and faces of the student body. Fun fact: Young women have […]
HBCUs
Posted inHBCUs
At Southern University, Power Outages Are Turning College Life Into a Daily Struggle
BATON ROUGE, La. — Last month, Cherie Allen, an 18-year-old first-year college student, successfully accomplished what many teenagers struggle to do: wake up on time. She made the 8 a.m. shuttle bus that comes once an hour to take Southern University students to campus with some time to spare and arrived at her 9:30 a.m. […]
Posted inEducation, HBCUs
Cause of Death Revealed for Ohio HBCU Student at Center of Alleged Hazing Lawsuit
An Ohio coroner has revealed the cause of death for Savanna Jones nearly five months after the Wilberforce University freshman’s body was discovered in her dorm room. Released Sept. 28, the Greene County coroner’s report said Jones, who died in April, passed from acute ventricular dysrhythmia and acute alcohol intoxication, the Jones’ estate said. “The […]
Posted inEducation, HBCUs
HBCUs to Receive $174 Million Federal Funding Boost
Historically Black colleges and universities will get a one-time $174 million investment in what the Trump administration has called keeping its pledge to support institutions that have played a role advancing opportunities for generations. “For nearly 200 years, HBCUs have been engines of opportunity in communities, advancing critical innovations and uplifting local industries across the […]
Posted inHBCUs, Higher Education, Mental Health
HBCUs Are Building New Support Systems for Black Male Students
This story was produced with support from the Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship program. COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Before heading to Howard University in fall 2021, Christopher Davis was determined to be the first Black man in his family to graduate from college. Not even a pandemic or financial insecurity could keep him from his […]
Posted inCulture, HBCUs
Before Classes Begin, Morehouse Gives Its Freshmen a Lesson in Belonging
“I’ve got a feeling somebody’s trying to sneak in my house … Morehouse!” A boisterous crowd sang into the summer night air as they flanked a long line of young men dressed in white shirts and maroon ties as they exited King Chapel. It is with those words, sang by upperclassman and alumni, that Morehouse […]
Posted inHBCUs
Black Colleges Are Building More Dorms Amid Enrollment Growth
Housing has long been a strain on Black colleges, but this summer, several HBCUs flipped that narrative. They are breaking ground on new dorms and announcing housing developments just as enrollment climbs. HBCUs make up just 3% of U.S. higher education institutions, yet they educate more than 10% of Black Americans with college degrees, according […]
Posted inEmployment, HBCUs, Higher Education, The Workplace
A Free D.C. Trade Program Is Connecting Black Students to Higher-Paying Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Marcus Bruce leaned against the tables where he and his carpentry students paused to answer questions from local middle schoolers on a recent tour of the University of the District of Columbia’s workforce campus. The young students didn’t hold back: “What happens to student loans? Will they take it from your check […]
Posted inHBCUs, Higher Education
Tuskegee Students Say the Dress Code Debate Misses the Real Issues
Payton Arentt didn’t give an extra thought to an email from the Tuskegee University administration announcing a dress code and cellphone policy — but she did wonder why people weren’t talking more about the radio silence around financial aid and housing. As a rising senior, Arentt said there’s always been an understanding on campus about […]
Posted inHBCUs, Politics & Policy
Savannah State Student Keeps Fighting for His Baseball Dream Despite ICE Detention
Savannah State University student Johan Sandoval felt like the world had turned its back on him while he was being held in a New York detention center for two weeks, but God and his love for baseball remained a constant. While in custody, Sandoval and other detainees played baseball using makeshift bases made from sandals. […]
