HBCU is an acronym that stands for a Historically Black College or University. Some of the more popular universities include Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA, Howard University in Washington D.C., FAMU in Tallahassee, FL and Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. However, there are over a hundred historically black institutions across the country, as of the year 2020.
HBCUs were initially founded to allow black students a place to receive higher education, as they were not permitted to go to school with white students prior to desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement.
Today, HBCUs are still considered a safe, even sacred, space for black students to pursue their degrees of choice. Due to the socioeconomic challenges many young black students face, they are often not afforded the same educational opportunities as their privileged counterparts, even though they are just as bright and innovative.
HBCUs see these students and their struggles and accommodate them in ways that many PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) do not. HBCUs often have lower tuition costs and lower acceptance GPAs so that even students with lower incomes that may come from underfunded, resource-lacking schools can pursue higher education. Every student deserves a chance to change their lives through learning.