ABSTRACT
This book has three primary foci. First, we believe it is very important to compile a compendium of the various (and often isolated and independent) efforts to increase the active involvement of African Americans in the field of public administration as well as to include their unique perspectives of the African American experience in the discourse of public administration. As we discussed in Chapter 2, these initiatives were actively undertaken by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which served as platforms for social change; social, political, and economic mobility for African Americans; and which established graduate programs to prepare African American students for careers in public administration. However, there were notable efforts by Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) and various public service professional organizations as well. PWIs began to establish and fund (often through philanthropic organizations) programs to attract minority students to graduate programs in public administration/ affairs by providing financial support to such students. Similarly, professional organizations in the field of public administration recognized the need to increase minority representation in the public service and began to develop and establish programs and initiatives to accomplish that goal. The impetus for the increase in education, professional development, and training programs was the Civil Rights Movement and ensuing national policy such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. These statutory mandates for nondiscrimination in employment and for a more representative federal workforce necessarily created more demand for minority public administration professionals. HBCUs, PWIs, and various professional associations were instrumental in producing well qualified minorities to meet the supply side of the equation in public service as well as other professional fields. In fact, a select group of 11 HBCUs established graduate programs in public administration beginning in the 1970s and subsequently gained membership and/ or accreditation in the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). Approximately 36 additional HBCUs have provided education and training for public service, which has contributed to the thousands of African Americans who have entered the enterprise of public administration over the past 40 years. We have emphasized the role of HBCUs in public administration education and practice because of its significance in the quest for justice, fairness, and equity, but also because there are some who question the relevancy of HBCUs in today’s world. The historical mission and purpose of HBCUs is challenged by inadequate resources, mergers with PWIs, reductions in federally funded student financial aid, and a plethora of other systemic and institutional barriers. We firmly believe that the collective HBCU story is one of sustained success in public administration/ affairs, and that success extends across the spectrum of academic disciplines at HBCUs as well.
