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The First Historically Black College and University (HBCU) is Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, which opened on February 25, 1837.
There are 107 HBCUs in the United States, including public and private institutions that have educated thousands of students from Alice Walker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, Toni Morrison, Taraji P. Henson, Marian Wright Eldeman and Langston Hughes just to name a few.
HBCUs have educated some of the greatest minds that have emerged in the 21st Century. The young man pictured below is my son and one of my heartbeats named Troy, when he was at Savannah State Univ. One of the best decisions I made was to support his decision to attend an HBCU.
The HBCU college experience has a direct correlation to African Americans thriving both financially and socially post-college. A 2015 Gallup-Purdue poll reports that the greatest measured difference between African American graduates of HBCUs and black graduates of other schools is their perceived level of financial well-being. Forty percent of HBCU students report feeling financially secure during college, as opposed to 29 percent of black students at other schools
Though their numbers are relatively few, in comparison to PWI, HBCUs make a significant impact nationwide. HBCUs make up only three percent of the country’s colleges and universities, yet produce almost 20 percent of all African American graduates.
As a community, we thrive when our HBCUs do well. When my son Troy was in Highschool at Southwest Dekalb Highschool, he participated in the marching band and had the opportunity to travel, see and play at various HBCUs. We have to ensure that a new generation of our children reaps the benefits of attending an HBCU. Click on the link to donate and support the UNCF
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