HBCUs, the acronym for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, first came into existence in the mid-nineteenth century with basically one goal which was to make provisions for African-American students who had, at the time, been barred from gaining admission into conventional colleges and universities due to racial discrimination. Is Howard A HBCU?
Howard University (on occasion referred to as The Black Harvard), has a populace of 86% of African-American/ Black college students. It is one of the 5 biggest HBCUs in the US with around 10,000 college students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 7:1.
Howard University was created on the 2nd day of March 1867 and named after its founder and Civil War Hero, General Oliver .O. Howard. Although Howard University first came into existence as an education facility for black preachers, it had seen to the educational needs of 150,000 freed slaves in other disciplines by 1872.
How Did HBCUs Come Into Existence?
HBCUs are colleges or universities created before 1964 whose principal mission was, and is, the education of African American Students in the South. The Freedmen’s Bureau, Black Churches, and the American Missionary Association were also actively involved in the creation of these schools. The Higher Education Act of 1965 developed the term “Historically Black Colleges And Universities” (HBCU), by this Act, federal investment in schools and universities were elevated.
Some of those establishments inclusive of Howard University and Morehouse College provided liberal arts courses and prepared college students for careers as instructors and missionaries while other HBCUs were targeted at different disciplines like business and agricultural operations. Some were single-sex- either all male or all female (for example; Spelman College, formerly called the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in 1881), while others had been coeducational (coed).
Although HBCUs had been initially established to offer better schooling for African American college students who required higher education, these schools now offer admission to students of all races and ethnicities. Today, there are over one hundred HBCUs to choose from and as a college hopeful, you could without difficulty select the one which suits you best.
What Are The Qualities Of An HBCU?
Some of the characteristics of HBCUs are as follows;
- They accept low-income for first-generation college students, that is, students born to immigrant parents can pay low-income rates.
- They confer twenty-two percent of all Bachelor’s Degrees to African Americans.
- They have an outstanding history of community and public service.
- A large number of graduates move into professional fields.
- Black History and Culture is a component of the main curriculum.
What Are The Unique Traditions Of HBCUs?
At HBCUs, those traditions have their nuances, their vibe, steeped in way of life and records. Other precise traditions, similarly grounded in the Black way of life and records, can best be observed on those campuses.
- Unique Greek Life: Even though many schools have Greek life, HBCUs make Greek existence their very own and it is packed with liked traditions and celebrations. Black Greek Traditions are mainly significant due to the unique way they came into existence.
There are nine Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO), called the Divine Nine. Each of the nine has its styles, traditions, special names colleagues call each other, and dance styles called stepping and strolling.
During probate season, new BGLO participants are delivered to their HBCU campus through creative, high-power indications concerning singing, chanting, stepping, strolling, and different rituals precise to every organization. Because the pledging process is kept secret, it is truly a big reveal when the new member debut.
- Emphasis On Black History: Notwithstanding that HBCUs themselves are an essential piece of black history, it is mandatory to take at least one course in black history in any HBCU you attend.
Even though black history courses may be taken as an elective in most colleges and universities in the US, college students and graduates of HBCUs declare that nothing experience the history and way of life therein and attending a college wherein black history is both studied and celebrated, is a deeply significant and maintaining experience.
- HBCU Pride: School spirit reaches some other stage at HBCUs, wherein college students are mainly pleased with their college’s history and way of life. Most HBCUs have a chant specific to their college which is exchanged as a way of greeting colleagues and alumni, and school colors are worn with pride and joy.
It is this identical spirit and delight that activates HBCU graduates to offer a supporting hand to their fellow HBCU graduates, growing a fairly fantastic community of alumni connections.
Conclusion
HBCUs offer a secure and nurturing area for a great variety of students, as well as a sense of home. Howard University and a myriad of different HBCUs possess these characteristics.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Many HBCUs Are There?
There are officially 106 HBCUs today of which Howard is one of them.
- Who Are Some Notable Alumni of HBCUs?
To mention but a few, some tremendous alumni are;
- Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black Female President of the United States of America, is a Howard Alum.
- Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court, is a Howard University Alum.
- Susan Kelechi Watson, a tv actress well-known for her position in This Is Us is a Howard Alum.
- Lionel Richie, an Award-triumphing Singer, Songwriter, and Actor, is a Tuskegee University Alum.
- Which HBCUs Offer Online And/Or Blended Degree Programs?
Twenty-four HBCUs provide online and/or combined diploma applications and those applications are defined in the Dynamic Link Library (DLL).
