A growing number of African American students are choosing to attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) over predominantly white institutions, according to a recent New York Times report. The article cited information showing applications to HBCUs increased 30% from 2018 to 2021, according to the Common App. Applications to the Common Black College Application are expected to reach 40,000 in 2022.
HBCUs across the United States have many notable alumni. Oprah Winfrey attended Tennessee State University in Nashville. Lionel Richie attended Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. And Howard University – located in the nation’s capital – boasts an array of well-known alumni, including Toni Morrison, David Dinkins, and Vice President Kamala Harris.
African American philanthropists have been critical in sustaining HBCUs for future generations. Winfrey donated $13 million to Morehouse College, an HBCU for men in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2019, and has donated $25 million to the school over the years. She also donated $2 million to her alma mater, Tennessee State, as well as its surrounding community in 2020. Michael Jordan also donated $1 million to Morehouse to support the school’s expanding journalism program. Frank Baker, founder of private equity firm Siris, donated $1 million to Spelman College, an HBCU for women in Atlanta that neighbors Morehouse, to create a scholarship fund. “We believe it is critical that talented women finish college and confidently enter – free of undue financial stress – the initial stage of their professional careers,” Baker and his wife, Laura, wrote in a statement announcing the contribution.
And, in June 2022, Pharrell Williams, the music performer and producer, said he would clear the student loan debt of five NAACP youth leaders who participated in a panel discussion that was part of his festival, “Something in the Water.”
Robert F. Smith’s Support for HBCUs
Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, proudly set a precedent in the tradition of African Americans giving back to HBCUs. In 2019, Smith’s $34 million contribution to Morehouse cleared the student loan debt held by that year’s graduating class. Smith also contributed more than $1.5 million to the school to establish the Robert Frederick Smith Scholars Program, as well as to build a park on campus. Smith also supports HBCUs through his various organizations. Student Freedom Initiative, where Smith serves as Chairman, is dedicated to relieving students from the burden of student loan debt. His $50 million contribution followed a $50 million donation by the Fund II Foundation. The organization aims to “preserve the African American experience, safeguard human rights, provide music education, preserve the environment while promoting the benefits of the outdoors, and sustain critical American values such as entrepreneurship.”
Learn more about Smith’s support of HBCUs.
