HBCU enrollment is up. Here’s why

Photo of HBCU Logo.
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Historically Black Colleges and Universities have seen the highest enrollment numbers since 2014, and they are continuing to climb.  

According to JL Carter Sr of HBCU Digest, enrollment numbers have reached 298,138 students. In 2011 there were 312,438 students enrolled at HBCUs across the country but the number started to fall over the next five years.

The 2017-2018 academic year saw a spike, but what could have been the reason so many students decided to go to HBCU'S?

During 2017, 223 African Americans were killed by police officers in the United States, and many of the shootings drew national attention after they were caught on some type of camera so everyone with internet was able to see.

In most of the killings, none of the officers involved were ever convicted of any wrongdoing, making it seem as if white police officers can use fear to make decisions instead of protocol.

2017 also was the year after football player Colin Kaepernick was black balled out of the National Football League because of his peaceful protest of taking a knee during the national anthem.  He wanted the country to take a look at the real issue of racial injustice; NFL owners tried to make him seem like a radical black person and took away his livelihood.

During this time Donald Trump was running for president and used racism, and racially charged tactics to get the support of most of the white demographic to get him elected as the 45th president.

Racial inequality has been the foundation this very country was built on, and the millennial generation has decided to change that.

"After all of the racial tension this country is in right now due to covert racism many of people like me have to deal with at PWI'S, I wanted to be surrounded by people like me, and not worry about if I was getting judged based off of my skin color," said Aliyah Williams, a sophomore criminal justice major at FAMU.

"I also chose criminal justice because I wanted to help make a difference to black people that weren't getting fair treatment in the justice system."

Going to an HBCU gives students a more one-on-one relationship with teachers, and easier tuitions to pay compared to PWIs.

These are real reasons people choose to attend HBCUs, but the feeling of wanting to prove to the racially prejudiced leaders of the country whether through academics or sports, has caused this new generation to make their difference with help of black Institutions.