Historically Black Colleges and Universities References and Resources
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are educational institutions founded primarily to serve African Americans, although they are not exclusionary in their admissions. According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, an HBCU is defined as “ . . . any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association . . . or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation.” Research has demonstrated that HBCUs have some of the lowest rates of alcohol use among the nation’s institutions of higher education.
By the Numbers. Fourteen percent of all African American students in higher education are enrolled in the 105 nationally recognized HBCUs. HBCUs represent 24 percent of all African American students in four-year colleges, with approximately 15 percent of all master’s and other advanced degrees earned by African American men and women in these institutions. (Source: U.S. Department of Education)
Alcohol Use. Ongoing studies confirm that students at HBCUs and African American students in general drink far less and suffer fewer consequences than do students at predominantly white institutions. This disparity in alcohol consumption appears to be strongly related to factors such as HBCUs’ emphasis on character development in their institutional goals and their enrollment of many students with strong religious values. As a result, the atmosphere at HBCUs mitigates against the “culture of drinking” found on so many other college and university campuses.
References:
List
of HBCUs from the U.S. Department of Education
The majority of the 105 HBCUs are located in the Southeastern states,
the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands, with 40 public four-year, 11
public two-year, 49 private four-year, and 5 private 2-year institutions.
Alcohol and Other
Drug Use at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HEC 721)
This Infofacts/Resources examines
the prevalence of AOD use at HBCUs, looks at the nature of the environment
that HBCUs create for their students that has led to lower rates of AOD use
than at predominantly white institutions, and offers recommendations for
moving forward.
Texas Southern University’s AOD Prevention Efforts
The
AOD prevention efforts of one HBCU, Texas Southern University, are featured
in the Higher Education Center’s Web feature, What Campuses and Communities
are Doing. (This Web section represents a broad range of AOD prevention approaches
at higher education institutions.)
Resources:
The
Annual Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell National HBCU Substance Abuse & Mental Health Conference
This conference aims to address substance abuse and mental health at HBCUs, continuing
the legacy and work of the late Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell, an esteemed educator,
administrator, policy advisor, and psychotherapist.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Resource Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health
This resource center, established by Morehouse School of Medicine Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/Cork Institute, facilitates and promotes
substance abuse and mental health workforce development, curriculum, and
prevention and intervention strategies at HBCUs.
National Association For Equal Opportunity In Higher Education (NAFEO)
NAFEO was founded by a group of HBCU presidents to champion the interests of historically and predominantly black colleges and universities, to provide services to members, and to serve as an international voice for the preservation and enhancement of historically and predominantly black colleges and universities and for blacks in higher education.
The
Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute
This
institute is the nation’s foremost research organization focusing
on the educational status of African Americans of all ages, from preschool
through adulthood.
Exposure of African-American Youth to Alcohol Advertising, 2003 to 2004
This newly released report from The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY)
details the exposure of African-American youth to alcohol advertising in magazines
and on radio and television in 2003 and 2004. Findings demonstrate that
African-American youth continue to be exposed to more alcohol advertising than
youth in the United States in general, even though African- American youth
have tended to drink less than youth from other racial and ethnic groups. Among
other findings, the recent report demonstrates that African-American youth
ages 12 to 20 were consistently exposed to substantially more magazine advertising
for distilled spirits and beer than were youth in general. The report discusses
the findings in light of the fact that although African-Americans may drink
less than the general population, they suffer higher rates of alcohol-related
problems.
Last Update:
April 15, 2008