In 2004 a near 30-year legal battle over higher education desegregation in Mississippi was settled with the state's historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to receive US$503 million over the course of 17 years. Nearly 65% of this funding is directed toward the recruitment and support of White students, with a significant share of…

If implemented, "Adams" could go a long way toward erasing the color line in higher education. Without this litigation and the resultant enforcement, the racial dualism of segregated systems of higher education in southern and border states would continue. (Author/IRT)

Supporters of Black colleges have said that the threat of court-imposed penalities was an invaluable asset in efforts to win state funds and block proposals to close Black colleges. That leverage is gone with a recent ruling by a federal judge. (MLW)

A three-judge panel of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled unanimously that civil rights groups could not sue the federal government to force it to take steps against states or colleges that may be breaking the law. (MLW)

Background information and policy issues regarding programs for the support of the historically black colleges are presented. The unique characteristics, qualities, and contributions of these black institutions are reviewed, and the implications of the Adams v. Califano case are discussed. Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 established…

Criteria to aid states in desegregating their higher education systems and the need for federal desegregation policy to take into account the unique role of public black colleges are examined, and the historical effects of segregation on educational opportunities for black Americans are traced. Criteria issues by the Department of Health,…