The Important Role of HBCUs in American Higher Education
Carolyn Mahoney
President, Lincoln University of Missouri
July 30, 2009

America’s historic national commitment to education has resulted in citizens who are among the best educated and most productive in the world. One of the strengths of the tertiary educational system in the United States is the wide variety of institutions. I am pleased to highlight the collective contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to the overall success of American higher education.

HBCUs were established to educate blacks during the segregationist years and continue to fill an important role in providing access to quality educational opportunities for African Americans. Although HBCUs represent less than 4 percent of American colleges and universities, according to data gleaned from the American Council on Education’s Minorities in Higher Education 2008: 23rd Status Report, HBCUs enrolled 12 percent of all African-American students in 2005; and the number of African-American students enrolled at HBCUs grew from about 224,000 students in 1995 to 249,000 students in 2005, an increase of 11 percent. HBCUs are exerting great efforts to provide greater opportunity and educational quality for underrepresented students.

HBCUs realize enormous benefit from faculty and staff who are dedicated to preparing students for careers, citizenship, and leadership. There is a strong sense of mission and place shared by all employees, and there is a certain calm yet enthusiastic confidence that they can make a positive difference in the educational lives of men and women. Firmly grounded in their historic missions and significant experiences educating African Ameri¬cans, many HBCUs currently are providing excellent and affordable educational programs to a broader population reflecting varied social, economic, educational, and cultural backgrounds. Many HBCUs have low selectivity admission policies and enroll high school graduates with varying levels of preparedness, who are then educated in a culture of strong expectations and appropriate support so that when they graduate, they are well prepared for further study or careers. Alumni with whom I have interacted are leading successful and happy lives, and are grateful to their alma mater for the role it played in their preparation for the future.

Many HBCUs started out as “Normal Schools,” and continue to emphasize teacher preparation as an important major program. There are indications that the country’s public schools will need to hire more than 2 million new teachers over the next decade. Given that approximately one-third (98 million) of the American population (296 million) currently are of Hispanic, African American, Asian, or Native American origin, it is important that the nation produces more teachers, including those of color, to serve as role models for minority students. Based on past experience, more than half of the African-American teachers will come from HBCUs.

Many HBCUs have a considerably diverse student and faculty population, and experience provides strong evidence that cultural pluralism is a vital source of enrichment to a student’s education. Moreover, HBCUs have a rich history of involving students and faculty in educational outreach in the local community; volunteer and service programs around the country; and international study, outreach, and research. Through such collaborative efforts, students gain valuable knowledge and experience working together—often with persons of different cultures and backgrounds—for the common good.

As demographic changes significantly have increased the proportions of people of color in the United States, HBCUs are enhancing the nation’s efforts, inter alia, to provide greater access to higher education for students of color; increase the number of minority and other students who graduate from college; and prepare students for responsible participation and leadership in the global economy.

I have highlighted just a few of the important contributions of a particular set of institutions to the overall higher education enterprise. In doing so, I hope that I also am presenting a reminder that one of the great strengths of America is the diversity among higher education institutions.