Faith and HBCU’s: Preserving and Celebrating ‘Our’ Culture and Heritage.

The Historical Black Colleges and Universities are the repositories for the African American Culture and History. There are 105 historically black universities and colleges. Most of these academic institutions were created in the United States, after the Civil War. They were defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965 as any college or university established prior to 1964 whose main mission was (and is) to educate black Americans, and were accredited--or made strides toward being accredited--by nationally-recognized agencies.

These historical institutions offer stories of courage, dedication, and commitment to the ideal of intellectual pursuit, for all Americans. They not only educate, they celebrate the culture in the arts and invite others to come and explore the magnificence of the People of African Descent.  The campuses are alive with the spiritual brilliance of the culture’s ancestors. There is no greater experience than standing at the gravesite of legends, such as Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver at Tuskegee or Mary McLeod Bethune at Bethune University. Historical Black Colleges and Universities are cultural institutions in our society structure and is a critical asset in the development of our economic base. Where will we be as culture, economically - and as a people; had not the HBCU’s been created?”