Why I Went to an HBCU
First and foremost, HBCUs save lives - without them so many gifted people would not have been blessed with an opportunity to be great. I am one of those people.
I chose an HBCU because coming out of high school I felt like a marginalized young brother who had endured some challenges during my k-12 matriculation. However, after the youth program in my community took us on an HBCU college tour, I felt as if I had been awakened. It was the first time I was exposed to the curation and celebration of black academic excellence. It was no turning back after that.
Shortly after, I toured a few PWI’s and, sadly, they didn’t allow me to tap into that feeling, I actually had flashbacks of my k-12 experiences on those visits.I am a two-time HBCU graduate. Virginia State University and Bowie State University. Respectfully and whenever I walk into to a room professionally, I always feel the most prepared thanks to those two institutions.
Kendrick Kenney
kkenney3@ccbcmd.edu
Virginia State University and Bowie State University
Chadwick Boseman's Howard University 2018 Commencement Speecht
Podcasts
- The HBCU Podcast
Class is in session. Hosts discuss Historically Black Colleges and Universities while spotlighting alumni through news, colorful commentary, and interviews. Listen to conversations on “hot button” HBCU topics and meet HBCU graduates making a mark
On the Shelf at CCBC Libraries
HBCU by
Showcases the role HBCUs play in empowering Black students, fostering economic development, building community, and mentoring leaders and activists. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play a pivotal role in promoting social and economic mobility for African Americans and in mentoring the next generation of Black leaders. In HBCU, Marybeth Gasman and Levon T. Esters explore the remarkable impact and contributions of these significant institutions. Through inspiring personal stories and extensive research, Gasman and Esters showcase how HBCUs have mentored generations of leaders and scholars, fostering a collaborative culture of success and empowerment. These schools shape and propel Black students into leadership and intellectual roles where they have a major impact on medicine, literature, law, higher education, art, sports, and business. HBCUs also have a profound impact on local communities and economic development that extends far beyond the classroom. This book sheds light on the unique cultures and identities nurtured within HBCUs while emphasizing the importance of philanthropic support and alumni engagement in maintaining these important institutions. Despite their positive contributions to society, HBCUs face specific challenges like securing adequate funding and support, small endowments, and accreditation. Gasman and Esters sound a compelling call to action and outline practical steps for sustaining HBCUs' invaluable legacy.
Call Number: LC2781 .G373 2024
Shelter in a Time of Storm by
2020 Museum of African American History Stone Book Award 2020 Lillian Smith Book Award Finalist, 2020 Pauli Murray Book Prize For generations, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been essential institutions for the African American community. Their nurturing environments not only provided educational advancement but also catalyzed the Black freedom struggle, forever altering the political destiny of the United States. In this book, Jelani M. Favors offers a history of HBCUs from the 1837 founding of Cheyney State University to the present, told through the lens of how they fostered student activism. Favors chronicles the development and significance of HBCUs through stories from institutions such as Cheyney State University, Tougaloo College, Bennett College, Alabama State University, Jackson State University, Southern University, and North Carolina A&T. He demonstrates how HBCUs became a refuge during the oppression of the Jim Crow era and illustrates the central role their campus communities played during the civil rights and Black Power movements. Throughout this definitive history of how HBCUs became a vital seedbed for politicians, community leaders, reformers, and activists, Favors emphasizes what he calls an unwritten "second curriculum" at HBCUs, one that offered students a grounding in idealism, racial consciousness, and cultural nationalism.
Call Number: LC2781 .F34 2019
Full List of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- HBCU Listing
There are 107 colleges in the United States that are identified by the US Department of Education as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Of those 107, three are currently closed.
U.S. Department of Education
Why I Went to an HBCU
“ The ongoing culture and traditions of HBCU life cannot be fully described. The elements that make HBCUs exist and thrive must be experienced first-hand. There are few other educational institutions in the U.S. where African American students can grow both academically and socially while also learning in a place that is intended to create pride in our history, our people and our community. ”
Erika Hodge Harris, MILS
Head Librarian at CCBC Essex Campus
EHarris@ccbcmd.edu
Graduate of Norfolk State University, ’93