Review of Opportunities and Challenges at Historically Black Colleges and Universities by Marybeth Gasman and Felecia Commodore (Eds.) (original) (raw)
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The Urban Review, 2012
Providing a brief history of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)-including how and why they were founded, funding sources and needs over time, and an examination of mission statements-the author considers the relevance of HBCUs in the current twenty-first century context. He makes an argument that the educational opportunities HBCUs offer continue to be strongly needed in the contemporary U.S. economic and sociopolitical climate. Finally, he offers HBCU faculty and administrators some suggestions for consideration as they face significant challenges ahead. Keywords HBCU Á Black history Á Higher education Á Racial uplift In a recent edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Marybeth Gasman (2009) wrote an article entitled ''Minority-Serving Colleges Deserve More Respect,'' where she asserts that minority-serving institutions (MSIs) continue to go above and beyond the call of duty as they educate African American, Latino, and Native American students. Additionally, Gasman argues, ''Minority-serving institutions empower, support and challenge their students to fully participate in American society, in many cases making up for the deficiencies in primary and secondary schools'' (p. 3). Gasman's argument reflects the acclaimed, educational legacy of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965 ''as institutions of higher learning established before 1964, whose principal mission was then, as is now the [higher] education of Black
Journal of African American Studies
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) continue to provide a substantial role in the black community and in higher education by providing a culture of excellence. Yet, their role in higher education is the center of many academic and political debates. Defining this role has been thwarted with questions of HBCUs relevance in society, in the African–American community, and in higher education. The relevance of HBCUs is neither the dilemma nor the question for higher education and HBCUs. The conundrum for HBCUs is ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary tools to address global and economic twenty-first century challenges. The purpose of this article is to examine existing challenges that contribute to HBCUs struggles in the twenty-first century in sustaining their culture of excellence. This article highlights how HBCUs are able to address challenges of accreditation, funding, and HBCU’s leadership and management in the face of global and economic challenges.
The Urban Review, 2012
In this article we provide a brief history of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as a part of the sociopolitical context framing this special issue. The aim of this issue is to situate HBCUs as centers of leadership, change, and influence as well as repositories of Black education and the Black American experience through their legacy of intellectual, cultural, and communal engagement. We argue that the lived experiences of HBCU graduates provide a deeper understanding of their positionalities in the landscape of U.S. American higher education outcomes.
Valuing the History, Missions and Traditions of HBCUs
Administrative Challenges and Organizational Leadership in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 2000
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) serve the educational needs of students of African descent while providing an atmosphere of nurture and guidance enriched in cultural norms. In considering how HBCUs can remain competitive, this chapter recommends that one of the first steps is to return to the basics, reviewing the historical significance, missions and traditions of HBCUs. In doing so, this work investigates the role HBCUs play in student identity and character development by looking at the history, mission and traditions of Morehouse College and Howard University. The authors, who both are alumni of these institutions, respectively, will examine relevant documents and statements from the schools as well as provide auto-ethnographic narratives explicating the impact those institutions had on their academic, social and professional successes.
Stories Untold: Counter-Narratives to Anti-Blackness and Deficit-Oriented Discourse Concerning HBCUs
American Educational Research Journal, 2018
Although there is empirical evidence concerning the value of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), broader narratives about these institutions too often overemphasize challenges and depict them from a deficit perspective. We argue that such depictions elide the benefits of HBCUs within the higher education landscape and are rooted in a form of institutional anti-blackness—persistent imagery and discourse that construct Black colleges and universities as institutions devoid of value. In response to such silencing, this study employs counter-narratives rooted in a critical race methodology to illuminate the modern contributions of HBCUs as told by their chief executive officers—HBCU presidents. These contributions include transforming today’s learners into tomorrow’s leaders, a commitment to serving low-income students that is unencumbered by their financial strains, and tapping the potential of students who were marginalized in prior academic environments.
Orienting Historically Black Colleges and Universities for the Future
2009
Public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a rich history but an uncertain future. The purpose of this article is to discuss the continuing relevance of the historic HBCU mission, and to suggest that a (re)formation of pedagogical policy designed to deliver on that mission-thereby qualitatively differentiating public HBCUs from non-HBCUs-is required to secure their future. In line with this discussion, related topics of prime economic and social justifications for public HBCUs, three top threats facing these institutions, and some important ontological organizational considerations receive attention to ensure that a proper context is set for a rejuvenated, mission-based pedagogical policy to succeed. Some practical pedagogical policy recommendations are offered in the final section. This article also contains many new suggestions for future HBCU research.