Although today’s HBCUs represent just three percent of the nation’s institutions of higher learning, they graduate nearly 20 percent of African Americans who earn undergraduate degrees. In addition, the institutions graduate more than 50 percent of African American professionals and public school teachers. HBCUs hold a unique legacy to the specific needs of young African American minds. They continue to demonstrate the most effective ability to graduate African American students poised to be competitive in the corporate, research, academic, governmental and military arenas. North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, North Carolina, a historically Black university, consistently graduates more Black engineers than any other University in the US. The supportive atmospheres of these colleges improve a student's ability to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
Studies have shown that 9 out of 10 colleges with African-American graduates who pursue a PhD are attending HBCUs. Due to their history, HBCUs provide a strong sense of community and raise ethnic and racial awareness in students. Going to an HBCU makes a statement. Students feel empowered by attending a university that has a history of fighting for African-American' rights to higher education. Many Black students benefit from being around fellow students and professors who share their cultural experience to varying extents. Students have come to know that they can only find a good distribution of such individuals at a historically Black college or university. Classes and extracurricular activities are designed to speak directly to the African-American experience and are often only available at HBCUs or may provide the most benefits at a historically Black college or university.
Black students tend to be academically, culturally, and economically incompatible with the PWI model of education. The PWI model caters to individuals who academically meet white-created standards, like high grade point averages and standardized test scores. It caters to students who have culturally assimilated into mainstream society, and who possess the financial resources to pay for the rising costs of education. Essentially, most students who do not identify with the doctrine of the dominant model of living in the United States, which most minority students do not, will struggle at Predominately White Institutions. Many African American students perceive PWIs as hostile, unsupportive, and unwelcoming. One way that hostility manifests itself at Predominately White Institutions, is through peer culture. When fellow students display negative attitudes about the presence of Blacks, the result is an unfriendly environment for Black students to reside and learn. Faculty can also aid in the development of a hostile atmosphere for Black students at PWIs. Some professors and other college employees have elitist attitudes toward education and do not consider Black students apart of this group. The lack of African American professors and staff may result in a Black student feeling isolated and ostracized. At PWIs, Black students also face ignorance about Black culture. The curriculum, teaching styles, student services, campus, and extracurricular activities are usually geared toward white students. For example, when Black students read history books, the information is usually derived from a monocultural perspective, and reflects the opinions of the dominant culture, which in this case is white.
Historically Black Colleges/Universities were created for the sole purpose of educating Black students, who at the time could be educated nowhere else. With a keen and unparalleled understanding of Black life and socioeconomic culture, HBCUs are able to provide an education that Predominately White Institutions cannot match. With the lack of programs and opportunities geared toward African American students, paired with the minimal quantity of African American faculty, it is difficult for Black students to prosper emotionally and academically at Predominately White Institutions. Thurgood Marshall, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Spike Lee all have something in common; they all attended Historically Black Colleges/Universities. Over the years, HBCUs have created a legacy of Black excellence, they nurture students while still preparing students for the challenges that they will face in the real world.