ABSTRACT
In a monograph that Marybeth Gasman and colleagues authored for the Association for Higher Education Report (ASHE) series on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), they characterized HBCUs as “unearthing promise and potential” (Gasman, Lundy-Wagner, Ransom, & Bowman, 2010). Given the history of HBCUs, this characterization is an appropriate fi t. Indeed, these institutions were founded to provide Blacks with an opportunity for postsecondary education during an era when they were excluded from other institutions of higher education. Given the noble purpose for which they were established, HBCUs have served as critical facilitators of Black engagement and agency in political, social, and economic venues in American society. As such, these institutions have played a signifi cant role in creating, sustaining, and advancing a Black middle class and the lives of Black professionals (Brown & Davis, 2001; Gasman, Baez, et al., 2007; Gasman, Lundy-Wagner, et al., 2010; Palmer & Gasman, 2008)
Upon their establishment, an overwhelming number of Blacks attended HBCUs (Allen, 1992; Fleming, 1984; Kimbrough & Harper, 2006; Sissoko & Shiau, 2005). However, over the years, fewer Blacks attended HBCUs because many opted to attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). This is due largely to governmental initiatives and litigation designed to integrate the education of Blacks and Whites (e.g., Adams v. Richardson, 1972; Brown v. Board of Education, 1954; Civil Rights Act of 1964; and the implementation of federal aid programs). Indeed, as a result of litigation and legislation, the total number of Black college students enrolled in HBCUs declined from 18.18% in 1980 to 13.70% in 1998, while the number of Blacks enrolled in other institutions of higher education grew from 80.82% in 1980 to 86.3% in 1998 (Sissoko & Shiau, 2005). In 2007, the number of Black students attending HBCUs further
declined to 10.63% while 89.37% now attend other postsecondary institutions (U.S. Department of Education, 2009a).
