Contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Contemporary figures; and DSST Staff members who are HBCU graduates debunk the myths and social narratives about what it means to be a Historically Black College and University. Read on to learn more about HBCUs and their significance!
HBCUs are the result of the Morrill Land Grant. The majority of HBCUs are in the South, in states that were Slave states. The state with the most is Alabama with 12, followed by Texas with 11. Langston University in Oklahoma is the nearest HBCU to DSST followed by Lincoln University in Missouri, where Quincy “Q” Shannon, GVR MS, attended. One would have to travel 12 hours to Texas for the next nearest HBCU, Paul Quinn in Dallas. Students at HBCUs (men, women and LGBTQIA) formed organizations such as the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that laid the groundwork for HBCU student activism we see to this day and were essential participants of the Civil Rights Movements in the 60s and today.
Those who attended an HBCU may say- imagine a place where who you are is what you are expected to be and your brilliance is on display daily. When asked about Black Student Alliance or Black Affinity Groups, a response is that it is not needed because we live out our experiences every part of the day. Events that impact Black Americans impact the whole campus. There are spaces for LGBTQIA, women, men, religion, etc but those are intersectional spaces. At HBCUs, yes, there are even spaces for Latinx, White, Asian, Pacific Islander, Caribbean and African students.
HBCUs are not Black Universities and Colleges. They were until desegregation. Now they are Historically Black Colleges and Universities, meaning they do have students who are not Black or African American. There are students from all over the world and from every walk of life attending HBCUs, including students from every continent and country – affluent, middle class, low-income and poverty.
HBCUs in Movies and on Television
When people think of HBCUs some may think of the representation in film and screen such as Hillman College, a fictional HBCU on A Different World (Cosby Show Spin Off for Denise Huxtable). This show was filmed at Clark Atlanta and Spellman. Other fictional representations include, Atlanta A&T – Drumline; Truth University – Stomp the Yard; Mission College – School Daze; and Georgia A&M – The Quad. However, Morris Brown College, Grambling State University, Clark Atlanta and Bethune Cookman, featured cameos in Drumline are all true HBCUs. Furthermore, Wiley College was the featured HBCU in the Great Debaters, a true story about Wiley College debaters defeating Harvard University in a debate.
Click here for 6 Reasons why HBCUs are more important than ever
HBCUs continue to produce many of our leaders in the United States, including Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, Maya Rockeymeyer Cummings. In film, HBCUs have produced Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Teraji P. Henson, and Wanda Sykes. In Sports, the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice, the first black QB to start and win a super bowl, Doug Williams, and who many consider to be the greatest running back of all time, Walter Payton, are products of HBCUs. DSST has graduates of HBCUs as well, including Quincy “Q”. Shannon, Lincoln University; Khala Adams, Florida A&M University (FAMU), Keena Day, Tennessee State University (TSU), and Aaron J. Griffen, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU)..See the following story written by our very own Keena Day, Senior Manager of Humanities at Home Office, for the Tennessee Tribune: Documentaries on HBCU Feature.
Call to Action: HBCUs are changing the landscape
Use what we learn about HBCUs to enhance the options for our students who are considering college. HBCUs offer smaller class sizes and a very diverse environment. Scholarships are available to students who are out of state. HBCUs produce the most Black engineers, doctors, and teachers in the nation. Several HBCUs like Prairie View A&M, Tuskegee, Tennessee State, Florida A&M, and Howard have internationally known nursing, architecture and engineering programs. The “Hidden Figures”, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, all are HBCU grads.
What can you do?
The contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the contemporary figures of HBCUs, and DSST Staff members who are HBCU graduates debunk the myths and social narratives about what it means to be a Historically Black College and University and the type of professionals they produce. HBCUs continue to contribute in very meaningful and historic ways throughout the United States and the world.