Bloomfield College, started in the mid-1800s by the Presbyterian Church as a school for German ministers immigrating to the United States, today proudly stands among the nation's predominantly Black colleges. It is a status the small private college did not seek and only fully embraced after a painful evolution marked by racial demographic changes in its target commuter population, race riots in its largest nearby city, a court fight with tenured professors and a conscientious decision to embrace diversity--the welfare of the school requiring it. Faced with changing demographics, Bloomfield College remains true to its mission by embracing its status as a predominantly Black institution. Bloomfield today claims to reflect American higher education for the 21st century while staying rooted in its core mission of providing access to students who would otherwise be turned away from college. It sees its mission as preparing students of all backgrounds to live in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society. Also, it does not see itself in a competitive race with peer schools.