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 […]
Howard University
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 […]
Hundreds of Howard Students Reinstated After Mass Unenrolling
It’s been a whirlwind summer for the incoming Howard University community. Three months waiting for a housing assignment at her dream school. Unenrolled along with more than 500 other students. And days later reenrolled. “My balance just kept changing, and it wasn’t consistent,” Flanders said. “I paid everything I had to pay, then they just […]
Howard’s Men’s Basketball’s March Madness Run Ends as HBCUs Make History
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The day after Howard University’s men’s basketball team had its first-ever NCAA tournament win, students on the campus were hoping for more. But the Bison’s dreams came to an abrupt end on March 19, as the team lost to the University of Michigan 101-80. Howard kept the game close, trailing by just […]
At Howard, Athletes Must Stand for the Anthem or Stay in the Locker Room
For years, Howard University’s women’s basketball team has been taking a knee to protest the mistreatment and brutalization of Black Americans by law enforcement. But on Wednesday night, at a game between Howard and South Carolina State University, that tradition – which had been a source of pride for many players and students – came […]
The HBCU Students Staying on Campus During the Holidays — And Loving It
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Xavier University alumna Destinee Kerr remembers being a broke freshman, barely scraping by to pay a phone bill and her out-of-state tuition. She dreamed of attending the Bayou Classic, an annual Thanksgiving weekend event and football game in New Orleans. While Kerr always wanted to go, she could never afford it, let […]
Deadly Homecoming Weekend Prompts HBCUs to Rethink Campus Safety Plans
BOWIE, Maryland — Bowie State University junior Tamia McClorin remembers people running after a shooting near campus during her first homecoming two years ago. It’s an image she can’t forget. “I literally saw a guy that was shot and just lying in the ditch. … I was just freaking out,” McClorin recalled. “It was literally […]
Howard President Resigns Amid Housing Crisis and Student Outrage
Howard University will soon be on the hunt for a new university president for the second time in just two years. The school’s 18th president, Ben Vinson III, will step down on Aug. 31, the board of trustees announced Friday. His tenure was short-lived, as he stepped into the role just two years ago in […]
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 […]

