Many of the colleges founded to teach Black students in the years that followed Reconstruction have been designated by Congress as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). By definition, an HBCU is an accredited school founded before 1964 “whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans.”
Since their founding, HBCUs have played a vital role in educating African Americans and shaping Black culture. In 2018, 13 percent of all bachelor’s degrees obtained by African Americans were issued by HBCUs, which make up slightly more than 2 percent of colleges and universities in the United States. More than half of America’s Black doctors, lawyers, and judges received degrees from HBCUs, as have many prominent political, economic, and cultural leaders.
One of the greatest advances for African Americans after Reconstruction was the founding of new colleges and universities for them to attend. In 1850, just a few years before the Civil War, there had only been one college available to Black students, the Institute of Colored Youth, later renamed Cheyney University. Over the course of the next century, the number of colleges that enrolled mostly Black students had grown to more than 100.
During Reconstruction, a number of colleges for Black students had been established in the South. Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Morehouse College in Atlanta, for example, were both begun through private grants in 1867. By 1877, other Black colleges had popped up throughout the country, but mostly in the South.
Unlike many Reconstruction programs, the establishment of Black colleges did not stop in 1877. You have already read about the creation of the Tuskegee Institute by Booker T. Washington in 1881. The establishment of private universities like Tuskegee, Howard, and Morehouse continued, but so did the creation of public schools like Florida A&M University. In addition, some colleges, like Spelman in Atlanta, were created specifically to educate Black women. Here are some HBCU's to name a few: 3 thingsthat you learned
1. HBCUs were founded after Reconstruction to provide education for Black Americans.
2. HBCUs have played a significant role in educating African Americans and shaping Black culture.
3. HBCUs have produced a large number of prominent leaders in various fields such as medicine, law, politics, and economics.