Chapter 11: Social Capital In Hbcus

For more than one hundred years, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played a pivotal and instrumental role in the education and overall progress of African Americans¹ in the United States. Critics and supporters agree that since their inception, HBCUs have excelled at increasing the personal acumen, political savvy, and intellectual capabilities of students who sometimes lacked adequate preparation for college enrollment (Allen, 1992; Fryer & Greenstone, 2007; Riley, 2010). Proponents believe that HBCUs have learned how to do much with little, well; they value the size of the institutions, overall academic climate, and the empowering family-like environment that permeates HBCU campuses (Allen, 1992; Drewry & Doermann, 2001; Fleming, 1984; Muhammad, 2011; Palmer &Gasman, 2008; Wenglinsky, 1996). Opponents, on the other hand, believe the need for segregated learning environments has passed; they challenge the academic rigor of the programs, feel the institutions are a financial burden on their states, and believe students receive an inferior education compared to Black students attending predominantly White institutions [PWIs] (Burrelli & Rapoport, 2008; Riley, 2010). Despite the debatable issues on their relative size, fiscal resources, curriculum, specializations, and infrastructure compared to other institutions (e.g., PWIs) in the academic pipeline, HBCUs have developed a well-earned reputation for preparing African American and other students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in higher education (Drewry & Doermann, 2001; Jackson, 2007; Palmer & Gasman, 2008).