This article begins by asking readers to make a modest supposition: HBCUs are, perhaps, one of the last frontiers for sustained feminist praxis-administratively and pedagogically. The authors write that they struggle with the situation, and find it both lamentable and paradoxical, since many HBCUs were originally founded and/or administered by…

St. Philip's College is the only community college in the nation that is both a Historically Black College (HBCU) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The college has a long history of evolving to serve the local population in San Antonio, Texas. Currently, more than 50 percent of St. Philip's students are Latinx, 29 percent are White, and 12…

In this interview, Beverly Daniel Tatum, President Emerita of Spelman College, shares her views of higher education. She notes the historical importance of historically black colleges and universities to our current leadership in all areas of society, their importance in rural areas or other places with limited educational options, and their need…

The American system of higher education is a diverse mosaic of institutions offering broad access and a great deal of choice. In the two decades from 1984 to 2004, the minority student population in the United States grew by 146 percent to about 5 million, or one-third of all college students. To accommodate this population growth, an increasing…

With the "counterhegemonic figured communities" of HBCUs as our lens, our idea(l)s are shaped within specific rewritings of race, access, and education that move us toward a new framework. Alongside teaching narratives, we foreground collaborative revisions of identity, critical mentoring, and coalition-work as an alternative theory of pedagogy…

To improve the outcomes of their diversity recruitment efforts, many organizations work to build ties with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, and other institutions with significantly minority populations. Here, career services professionals at four HBCUs talk about effective…

After tracing the history of Blacks in higher education from slavery to the present, the author discusses the relative merits of Black versus White higher education institutions for Black students. (RLV)

The author conducted focus groups with seven Black male college-aged students who either attend or attended predominantly White institutions (PWI) in the South. The author believes that it is important to pay close attention to the attitudes of African Americans enrolled in PWIs and HBCUs. Both students and educators should recognize the…

Issues concerning the collection and uses of data about college student retention are considered. Some of the documented findings about student retention in U.S. colleges is summarized, with attention to both national data and data for colleges belonging to the United Negro College Fund. Difficulties in obtaining useful retention data are…

Critiques the theory advanced by A. Thernstrom and S. Thernstrom that affirmative action is responsible for the high college dropout rates of African Americans because underqualified applicants are admitted. The argument centers on examination of dropout rates at historically black colleges and institutions, where racial preference is not a…

Black colleges provide the supportive environment, opportunities for participation, and intellectual stimulation which enhance student learning and ultimate success. Important repositories of black culture, they articulate and manifest its values. Without these qualities, even institutions with greater physical or financial resources fail to meet…

Presents a historical perspective on Bylaw-5-1-(j), better known as Proposition 48, of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which calls for tougher academic standards for students seeking to participate in Division I athletics. Proposition 48 seems to be a relatively logical step in the evolution of the freshman eligibility…

Survival of predeominantly Black colleges in the higher education system is advocated in arguments for an educational balance. The goals of Black colleges are cited, and the encouragement of non-Black students to attend is seen as an attempt to teach other institutions how to become pluralistic. (JMF)

Desegregation efforts and litigation, including the Bakke case, are discussed in terms of their conflicting effects on the existence of predominately Black colleges. It is suggested that federal actions and legal decisions may in fact threaten the survival of Black institutions. (JMF)

Presents, in interview format, the views of the following people on Proposition 48 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which calls for tougher academic standards for students seeking to participate in Division I athletics: (1) Joseph Johnson, President, Grambling State College; (2) John Slaughter, Chairman, NCAA's President's…