By Kevin Harris and Richard McDaniel
Guest Commentary
There is a dangerous misinformation campaign about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The false narrative that HBCUs are somehow fragile, dependent on foreign students, or lesser-tier institutions was most recently pushed when Donald Trump suggested HBCUs would go out of business without students from China.
Like most of what Trump says, his take on HBCUs is false. International students are not the financial backbone of HBCUs and foreign students make up a very small fraction of the typical HBCU population. While Trump’s HBCU claims are easily disproved, the need to articulate who and what HBCUs are still remains.
HBCUs are not charity cases. HBCUs are engines of excellence, and the legacy — and future — of these institutions profoundly counters the
lies and misinformation about who HBCUs are and their many contributions to society.
The misinformation that HBCUs are “fragile charity cases” or “unsustainable without foreign students” is not just wrong — it subtly reinforces a paternalistic mindset, reducing Black institutions to dependencies rather than celebrating them as the selfsustaining, job creating, educational pillars of excellence that they are. These institutions have persisted, thrived, and evolved into powerhouses of academic excellence that shape American leadership and economic growth at home and abroad.
And while HBCUs were born out of necessity — providing Black Americans access to higher education during segregation — they do not discriminate against white Americans.
HBCUs are institutions deeply rooted in U.S. history, community, and leadership that are open and accessible to all while proudly embracing
their principal mission of educating Black Americans. Students of all ethnic backgrounds are welcome at HBCUs and non-Black students make up a meaningful portion of HBCU enrollment, particularly at the graduate level in critical fields such as engineering, law and medicine.
HBCUs more than carry their economic weight. According to a recent report from the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), HBCUs generate $16.5 billion annually in economic impact and support over 136,000 jobs across the country. If HBCUs were a company, their job creation would rank them among the Fortune 500 where many of their alumni currently serve in the corporate c-suite with distinction.
Research also shows that HBCUs are especially effective in promoting social mobility. The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) reported that about 30 % of HBCU students move up at least two income quintiles by age 30, nearly
double the rate at non-HBCUs. HBCUs have produced some of America’s most important leaders across sectors: government, science, academia, business, and more. From Thurgood Marshall to Martin Luther King Jr and Kamala Harris, from educators to medical researchers — HBCU graduates don’t just contribute, they lead. And HBCUs collaborate with the private sector to build a diverse workforce that allows America to compete globally.
But if we’re being honest, we have to acknowledge that Black people also need to know who and what HBCUs are. Too many within the Black community misunderstand HBCUs’ value, perpetuating ignorance such as HBCUs “don’t prepare you for the real world” or are “lesser than predominantly white institutions (PWIs).”
HBCUs are not fallback options. HBCUs don’t exist for Black students who weren’t “good enough” for predominantly white schools.
HBCU graduates are not disadvantaged in the workplace. HBCUs exist because they are powerful, enduring, and transformational. HBCU graduates are more than prepared for the real world as evidenced by the impressive roster of achievement from their alumni.
HBCUs are not fragile, dependent, or second-rate. HBCUs are powerhouses — educating, innovating, and generating economic and social impact. When we speak of HBCUs, we should speak with respect, with truth, and with the full understanding that the HBCU legacy of Black excellence benefits all of America even when America seeks to delegitimize our skill and accomplishment.
To misrepresent who and what HBCUs are is an attempt to disrespect generations of resilience, excellence, and achievement. HBCUs deserve better than that — and all of America should recognize our power.
hypocrisy, tone-deafness, ignorance or down-right meanness was expressed when the State Superintendant said something to the effect that these men fought and sacrificed for “our freedom”. The Revolutionary War ended on September 3, 1783 and slavery was not ended until the end of the Civil War in 1865, eighty-two years later. As my mother might say, there was a tremendous problem with her pronouns. Our freedom?! She obviously was not referring to Black people at the Black history program.
This is evidence that we need to know our history from our historians and not what is fed to us by people who historically have not been our friends and still are not.
Food for thought.
Kevin Harris and Richard McDaniel are veteran Democratic strategists and proud alumni of Howard University and Morehouse College. They co-host “Maroon Bison Presents: The Southern Comfort Podcast.”