February is Black History month.
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Most of these institutions were founded in the years after the American Civil War and are concentrated in the Southern United States….For a century after the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, most colleges and universities in the Southern United States prohibited all African Americans from attending, while institutions in other parts of the country regularly employed quotas to limit admissions of Black people. HBCUs were established to provide opportunities to African Americans and are largely responsible for establishing and expanding the African-American middle class.
There are 101 HBCUs in the United States (of 121 institutions that existed during the 1930s), representing three percent of the nation’s colleges and universities, including both public and private institutions….Among the graduates of HBCUs are civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr….
This week we interviewed Sierra Nance, a scientist who studied at a historically black college.
I was not afforded the same opportunities for research as students who went to other institutions. My knowledge and abilities were questioned because I went to a smaller, less well-known HBCU.
Two black scientists explored the effects of segregation on children. Their Doll Test played a key role in the Civil Rights movement.
References
Feb 7, 2022
Mar 1, 2022
Apr 25, 2024
