From building the foundation to building a legacy.
Slaves built many of the academic institutions in the United States, creating the foundation that held some of the most intellectually progressive minds in the world. Once slavery was over and freed black people were stepping on the grounds of opportunity, education was desired. While segregation prevented black students from attending college in the South, a quota system limited the number of black college students accepted by institutions in the North.
Eventually the first HBCU, Cheyney University came about in Pennsylvania in 1852. What followed was over 100 institutions including medical school, law schools and institutions that rivaled ivy leagues like Harvard.
Thousands of students were enrolled in prominent school such as Howard, Fisk Spelman and Morehouse. in 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education changed how black people got their educations til this day. Segregation in schools was now illegal.
With the federal law, Affirmative Action and support from many organizations such as the NAACP and The Urban League many black students now had the opportunity to attend Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Many HBCUs closed or became PWIs but most continued to be the academic haven our black children needed.
Today many HBCUs like Howard, Hampton and Tuskegee are symbols of black excellence producing the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Chadwick Boseman, Erykah Badu, and Wale. Many of these gateways to internal liberation and pride continue to welcome everyone of the African diaspora and beyond.
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