HBCUs are having a moment.
Many historically Black colleges and universities have seen record-breaking enrollment numbers in their recent freshman classes. But on the flip side of that surge, Black freshman enrollment is actually down by 27 percent among the top 50 most selective institutions in the United States. And there are some big explanations behind these shifts.
As the landscape of higher education has evolved from the eras of segregation to the civil rights movement to Trump-era racial politics, Black students have had to adapt on college campuses nationwide as government mandates, school policies, and the dismantling of affirmative action have impacted their education over the years.
Hosted by Kahlil Greene, this video is part of our new series, Kahlil Explains, that unites Vox’s unique brand of explainer journalism with Greene’s expertise in how politics and culture shape society. This first episode traces the history of HBCUs and the experience of Black college students to unpack why Black student enrollment is growing at HBCUs yet declining at other elite institutions.
Read more about HBCUs and race in higher education:
- A brief timeline of HBCU history
- Marybeth Gasman and Levon T. Esters’s book HBCU: The Power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Class Action’s report on the future of fair admissions
- The Center for MSIs research brief on HBCU enrollment trends
- The Associated Press’s analysis of Black enrollment at elite colleges
Vox is an American news and opinion website owned by Lupa Systems. The website was founded in April 2014 by Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Melissa Bell as part of Vox Media, and is noted for its concept of explanatory journalism. Vox's media presence also includes a YouTube channel, several podcasts, and a show presented on Netflix. Vox has been described as left-leaning and liberal.
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