Historically Black colleges and universities: historical and contemporary issues (from the International Encyclopedia of Education, Fourth Edition)

This article provides a discussion of the history and the contemporary issues pertaining to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. It draws upon relevant literature and provides an in depth understanding of HBCUs. In particular, the article focuses on the impact of industrial philanthropy on the leadership and curriculum of HBCUs; the intersection of the law with HBCUs, especially as it pertains to desegregation; the role of HBCUs in the civil rights movement; and the impact of Federal recognition of these institutions. Moreover, the article examine HBCUs in the current day, including an emphasis on their unique strengths - such as their role in producing graduates in the sciences, their faculty diversity, and their impact on the economic mobility of students. The article ends with commentary on the future of these important institutions.