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Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a long history of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As we move through the twenty-first century, the color lines of persons working at and attending them is changing, creating a caramelizing of HBCUs. Therefore, this chapter identifies the challenges associated with the growing number of non-Black students and faculty at HBCUs. Furthermore, it uses the notion of “othermothering” to address those issues via ethic of care, advancement of culture, and guardian of the institute. Strategies include same- and other-race mentoring, service-learning projects, safe places for racial identity development, the divine nine, homecoming and bowl game awareness, autoethnography, HBCU e-learning series, and teaching support for teaching diverse student learners.

Guided by the theoretical framework of human capital theory and using data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, this chapter investigated labor market outcomes for graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) compared to their non-HBCU counterparts. The results from this current study largely indicate that there are no significant disadvantages for Black graduate of HBCUs in terms of labor market outcomes. Moreover, under the premise of human capital theory, this study found that HBCUs serve as equivalent mechanisms for human capital attainment for Black students. This chapter concludes with limitations of the study as well as implications for future research.

As the mission of this text calls us to engage in articulating a vision that speaks to the power and potential of the next chapter in the historically Black college and university (HBCU) narrative, we propose that we take a moment to critically reflect in order to contextualize and establish a vision of the road ahead that is clear and informed. The past decade ushered in many significant shifts in policy and practice with varying outcomes that have uniquely and forever shaped the future of our beloved institutions and we must be careful not to forget these pivotal moments. Utilizing a robust critical discourse analysis, the authors of this chapter will explore topics ranging from resource development and institutional leadership at HBCUs to the critical role of research as a mechanism for owning and sharing our individual and collective HBCU narratives in 2020 and beyond. The authors will provide a timeline of events and discuss their impact on HBCU stakeholders and institutional operations, while also taking the time to provide recommendations for preparing for and possibly circumventing comparable issues in the future. Although HBCUs find themselves navigating a constantly evolving sociopolitical landscape, we are certain that being mindful of our immediate past and committed to our historical purpose provides the best route for us to be intentional about our future.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) possess an advantage in preparing students of color for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce (Gasman & Nguyen, 2014; Upton & Tannenbaum, 2014). It has been suggested that implementing additional strategies to increase the availability, dissemination, and quality of information related to successful HBCU outcomes will allow HBCUs to sustain themselves into the future (Gasman & Nguyen, 2016). We discuss the use and benefits of a novel framework THRIVE Index tool (Byrd & Mason, 2020). THRIVE uses seven dimensions (e.g., Type, History, Research, Inclusion, Identity, Voice, and Expectation) to illustrate best practices of academic pipeline programs and increase the availability of HBCU success outcomes in a comparable format. Academic pipeline programs come in several varieties, but their goal is to propel individuals from one level of the academy to another and into the workforce. Using a common framework like THRIVE also allows for the creation of a clearinghouse of what successfully works for us at HBCUs from the perspective of HBCU pipeline program directors. We describe strategies for how this option for knowledge transfer to stakeholders (e.g. parents, corporations, educational institutions, etc.) can aid in long-term sustainability efforts like recruitment strategies and partnership efforts.

In order to survive beyond 2020, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will need to strengthen their financial standing. Compared to predominately white institutions, HBCUs have substantially weaker financial resources. Without strong fundraising and effective financial management, HBCUs are doomed beyond 2020. The importance of hiring astute financial managers at HBCUs cannot be overstated. History, tradition, and reputation are irrelevant at an institution if the finances are not optimally managed. Moreover, state and federal higher education policies can damage the financial standing of HBCUs, as seen in the 2013 PLUS loan crisis. This chapter will be divided into two sections. The first section will provide a historical and contemporary perspective on financing HBCUs, including how state higher education policies impact HBCUs. The second section of the chapter will provide an overview of budget management at HBCUs.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) constitute a vibrant sector within the American system of higher education – one with a unique and vital mission. Moreover, this sector comprises many diverse segments, each with their own particular characteristics, challenges, and opportunities. To be successful in our present postsecondary context and beyond, HBCU leaders must understand their institutions' positions within the larger sector and actively manage key dimensions of institutional performance. In support of these twin imperatives, this chapter will begin by offering an overview of the HBCU sector, its mission, and the characteristics of its institutions. The chapter will next present trend data for four critical areas of postsecondary organizational management: institutional resources, market demand, access, and affordability. The chapter will conclude by considering the implications of the trend data for the future and articulating various strategies campus leaders should pursue to ensure long-term institutional survival and success.

Post-secondary institutions are at a crossroads. Students from various marginalized communities are increasingly encountering hostile environments. Fortunately, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) offer students safe spaces to deconstruct vital issues. However, they have struggled to keep pace with other colleges and universities committed to supporting LGBTQ students. As a result, LGBTQ students feel isolated and abandoned because of conservative ideas rooted in heteronormativity. This chapter will explore: (1) findings from a study that examined the perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate students from a public HBCU regarding the LGBTQ community; (2) how conservative tenets impacts LGBTQ students’ experiences; and (3) university support systems for LGBTQ students. In addition, the chapter includes recommendations and implications for HBCU administrators.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) possess a long-standing history of asserting their voices in the fight against numerous injustices within the American, international, and black context. Despite HBCUs' engagement in these affairs, much more advocacy and action at HBCUs are needed to promote the inclusion of their black queer and trans* students. Evidence from studies centered on the experiences of black queer students at HBCUs suggests the need for HBCUs to develop transformational policies and practices. Thus, creating transformational policies and practices could potentially promote the full, uninhibited participation of black queer and trans* students. To that end, this conceptual chapter employs Abes (2009) theoretical borderlands concept to (re)imagine the inclusion of black queer and trans* students at HBCUs. Namely, the transformational tapestry model (Rankin & Reason, 2008), a quare theory framework (QTF; Ferguson, 2004; Johnson, 2005; Johnson & Henderson, 2005), and traditional heterogendered institutions concept (Preston & Hoffman, 2015) are presented in this chapter as a vehicle for (re)imaging this transformational inclusion. By bridging these theoretical frameworks together, I seek to illuminate how HBCU campuses can systematically address queer and trans* student inclusion, protections, and empowerment on these campuses. At the conclusion of this chapter, I offer ways in which this conceptual framework can assist in increasing the enrollment, retention, persistence, engagement, and graduation of black queer and trans* students at HBCUs.

While many may assume that all students enrolled at historically Black campuses are African American, recent trends suggest these campuses are becoming increasingly diverse. In this chapter, we challenge common perceptions about historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), highlighting both what is known and yet to be known about enrollment trends and the experiences of students from diverse backgrounds at ­historically Black campuses. The chapter presents data from the National Center for Education Statistics, tracking changes in enrollments over time. These data are coupled with a review of research on the experiences of non-Black students at HBCUs, largely focusing on White students, but also integrating the narratives of a growing Latina/o/x student population. HBCUs can also be ethnically diverse, and we examine the heterogeneity within the Black student experience based on ethnic identity and immigrant status. We close with recommendations for research and practice, calling for increased attention to how non-Black populations experience, navigate, and engage HBCU campus communities to promote student outcomes and opportunities for learning across difference.

The nation's first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were founded before the end of the U.S. Civil War. However, most were established in the post-Civil War era, through the Freedmen's Bureau and other organizations such as the American Missionary Association (AMA) when the U.S. federal government initiated an organized effort to educate newly freed slaves (Hoffman, 1996). Additional support for HBCUs arose from the second Morrill Act of 1890, which provided opportunities for all races in those states where Black students were excluded from public higher education. Thus, since their founding in the 1800s, the nation's HBCUs have had as their missions to provide access to higher education for the disenfranchised and underprivileged of our society. Today, these institutions continue to make significant contributions in educating African American and other underrepresented minority students, particularly in the areas of science and engineering. Although they comprise only 3% of U.S. institutions of higher education, HBCUs in 2008 awarded 20% of the baccalaureate degrees earned by Blacks in science and engineering (National Science Foundation, 2011).