Historically Black colleges and government underfunding

COURTESY JUSTIN NIXON

Johnson C. Smith University student Justin Nixon.

Historically black colleges and universities across the country and in the state of North Carolina have served as bastions of excellence. 

HBCU graduates go on to be agents of excellence in their respective fields and communities. Many of these institutions were created in the South after the Civil War to help bring educational opportunities to newly freed African Americans.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, originally known as the African Institute and then the Institute for Colored Youth before its official name came into being, was founded in 1837 by Richard Humphreys. Cheyney was the first HBCU established in the country, and its students focused on trades and agriculture.

 
Several other colleges serving a predominantly black student body were established after 1837, with Lincoln University of Pennsylvania established in 1854 as the first HBCU granting college degrees, Wilberforce University in 1856, and Harris-Stowe State University in 1857. The first HBCU to come about after the Civil War was located here in North Carolina – Shaw University (Raleigh).

Continuing this trend, the American Missionary Association and the Freedmen’s Bureau founded many other historically black colleges, with many more coming through land grants established by the Morrill Act of 1890. Today, there are over 100 HBCUs in the U.S.

HBCUs have produced many notable graduates such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Thurgood Marshall, Langston Hughes, among others. These institutions have a steep and impactful history in the United States, helping develop the intellect of their student body. Many of their students have served as civil rights advocates and change makers in society. For instance, the Greensboro Four, a group of Black men protesting segregation at a restaurant in Greensboro, were students at North Carolina A&T State University.  

At my HBCU, Johnson C. Smith University, we’ve produced graduates who’ve gone on to be national and world leaders. For example, Eva Clayton served in the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 1st District after the seat had been held by someone white for over 100 years before she took office in 1992. Clayton served five terms before she was appointed assistant director-general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization based in Rome.  

She received her bachelor’s degree at JCSU and her masters and law degree at North Carolina Central University, another North Carolina HBCU. North Carolina A&T State University has produced movers and shakers in their respective fields such as the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Rev. Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, astronaut Ronald E. McNair, and many more. I could list notable alumni of HBCUs and their contributions to society ranging from the sitting Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris (Howard University) down to artistic geniuses like Spike Lee (Morehouse College) but that would go on forever.  

HBCUs produce individuals who go on to make a significant impact in the world. These institutions represent nearly three percent of non-profit colleges nationally, producing upwards of 17% of all bachelor’s degrees awarded to African Americans. Moreover, HBCUs enroll a disproportionately high percentage of first generation and low-income students at nearly 60%, and outperform their peers in supporting and graduating these students.

About 27% of African Americans with bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering come from HBCUs, and on an annual basis, HBCUs contribute nearly $15 billion to their communities. In North Carolina alone, a state with the largest number of HBCU students and 10 HBCUs in total, the economic output of these institutions is $1.7 billion. Nationally, they produce around 134,000 jobs and create $46.8 billion in career earnings for their graduates.

HBCUs have made a substantial impact despite over a century of underfunding by federal and state governments. Many of these institutions have struggled to find ways to navigate this lack of funding and keep their operations rolling. A June 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office on the infrastructure needs of all 101 accredited HBCUs found that 46% of their building space needed to be repaired or replaced. Many of these institutions have had to defer maintenance because of a lack of funding: the report found that there is currently $67 million in deferred maintenance backlogs at HBCUs.

Campus modernization efforts to help HBCUs compete in the higher education marketplace such as improving academic buildings, residence halls, research facilities have been placed on the back burner because of a lack of funding. A survey by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund of institutions they represent revealed an average need of $120 million for new infrastructure on HBCU campuses.

Despite the infrastructural challenges they face, HBCUs have a dramatic impact on both their students and their communities. For this reason, federal and state governments should increase funding for these institutions. More funding will help to ensure these institutions have the resources necessary to compete at the highest level and continue producing outstanding graduates. At both the federal and state levels, it is imperative that lawmakers take action to fund HBCUs.  

Federally, efforts are already being made to improve infrastructure at HBCUs by members of the Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus through provisions in the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act. Members in the North Carolina General Assembly and in state governments where HBCUs are located should take heed to the work the Caucus is doing and replicate these efforts to serve their HBCUs. Given the notable contributions of HBCUs, efforts to improve these institutions will help foster greater racial equality and outcomes for its students and the country.

Justin Nixon is a student at Johnson C. Smith University.  

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