This essay describes Open Admissions in the South during postsecondary desegregation, providing a comparative analysis of policies and debates in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Georgia. Statewide Open Admissions policies emerged in the 1960s as part of superficial efforts to comply with desegregation but were ineffective; consequently, they were…

The purpose of this case study was to examine how Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) implemented the negotiated ruling of the "Ayers" desegregation lawsuit and settlement to empower the institution and similarly situated historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The spoken and written words of three administrators of…

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…

Eighteen years after the Supreme Court rendered its decision in Fordice, many states have complied somewhat or not at all to its mandates. This has been particularly evident in Maryland, where the presidents of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are pressuring the state to fulfill its commitment with the Office of Civil Rights…

Historically Black colleges and universities are a unique institutional cohort in American higher education. These colleges have been celebrated for their achievements and critiqued for their composition at differing points during their collective history. This article addresses contemporary ebbs and flows of their relevance and reputation in the…

The purpose of this study is to address differences in states' capital spending between public four-year historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and their predominantly White institutions (PWIs) counterparts located in the southeastern and bordering regions of the United States. This investigation was viewed through nine academic…

The "United States v. Fordice" was decided in the United States Supreme Court in 1992, and it represents the most recent ruling on desegregation for those states that have historically maintained racially segregated systems of higher education. This study raises the question of what would Mississippi higher education be without public…

This book is organized into nine chapters. First the authors provide a historical overview of historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs), examining their founding as well as the role of African Americans, missionaries, and industrial philanthropists in their development. They also look at how these institutions have changed over time,…

This article examines the history, present, and future of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). We begin with a brief review of the existing literature on HBCUs, considering common themes and how these institutions changed over time within a broader socio-historical landscape. In addition to historical information, we use a…

In "Fordice," the Supreme Court refused to recognize that the higher education system for the state of Mississippi had desegregated. Discusses the implications of the resultant new constitutional standard for the desegregation of higher education; financial effects on black colleges; and how the new standard could affect federal district…

A report issued by the American Association of University Professors' Committee on Historically Black Institutions and the Status of Minorities in the Profession is critical of the lack of state support for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and contends that "United States versus Fordice" will result in elimination of…

Implications of the 1992 Supreme Court decision in United States vs. Fordice for black colleges are examined. The decision held that a state's obligation to dismantle a formerly segregated system is a requirement that cannot be satisfied by mere adoption of race-neutral policies by historically black institutions. (MSE)

The 1992 "United States v. Fordice" case is the judicial precedent for desegregating higher education. Across 19 southern and border states, the desegregation burden has been shifted disproportionately to historically black colleges. This legal and political investigation explores acceptable responses to the desegregation mandate that…

This report of an American Association of University Professors committee examines, in the context of the Supreme Court's decision in "United States v. Fordice," threats to the continued existence of historically black colleges and universities and the accomplishments of HBCUs, both public and private, which justify their existence. An…

Issues in the survival of historically black colleges are examined in light of the recent court decision in "United States vs. Fordice." It is proposed that a national commission of black higher education be established and governance of black colleges be transferred to it by the states. (MSE)