Historically Black colleges and universities have a long history of being highly revered, filled with passion, love and relatability. For many students of color, HBCU’s are a comfortable escape from the biases and racial inferiority that may infest predominantly white institutions.
Enrollment into HBCU’s has been on the decline in the last decade, as well as enrollment across all U.S. colleges and universities. Not until recent times has the interest and popularity of HBCU’s been resurrected. HBCU’s manifested from the battle with racism in education during segregation.
According to the Washington Post, HBCU’s have seen a resurge in their attraction, as the United States continues to grapple with its dark history and the eerie reappearance of overt racism and violence across the nation.
The most recent federal data shows that in fall 2017, enrollment into these historical Black universities and colleges was up to 298,138, a 2.1 percent increase from 2016.
Earlier this year, the Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual “Year in Hate” report, which showed that hate groups have continued to grow in 2018, heavily influenced by President Donald Trumps insistence in fanning the flames of “white resentment over immigration and the country’s changing demographics.”
It appears that HBCU’s have quickly once again become a haven for many people.
Students at the 20th Annual Black College Expo held at Bowie State University in Maryland expressed their viewpoints on the issue to reporters with the Post.
“It’s nice to be around people who can relate to you,” 17-year-old Leon Smith, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland said.
“When you think about what happened in Virginia a few years ago and things like that – students want to be on a campus where they feel safe,” Shanice Pereira, an admissions officer at Morgan State University said. “It’s something that impacts students and their thinking.”
Admissions officials have taken note of the wave occurring within HBCU’s and understand its importance!
Shout out to HBCU’s for breaking through and providing a home away from home for countless students.
Source: The Louisiana Weekly
