Black land-grant institutions have undergone dramatic changes in the last two decades, being forced to reevaluate their missions, develop new student recruitment strategies, and forge new relationships with predominantly White colleges and state legislatures in an effort to survive and to serve their clientele. (MSE)

Problems and controversies involving public black colleges are reported in the context of the recent Supreme Court decision suggesting states should merge historically black colleges with geographically close, predominantly white institutions. In some cases white political leaders are blamed for potential closures of vulnerable institutions.…