Synopses & Reviews
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have served a population under severe legal, educational, economic, and political restrictions. They have maintained a close relationship with the struggle of blacks for survival, advancement, and equality in American society. By comparison with other colleges, they are poor in financial resources physical plant, and teaching facilities. They face opposition from the white power structure and must often deal with students inadequately prepared for college-level learning. However, they are a vital national resource and have served as the font of African American leadership. They are the custodians of the archives of black Americans and centers for the study of black culture. Roebuck and Murty's work is significant as the first comprehensive study of historically black colleges and universities.
HBCUs are defined in the first chapter. Chapter 2 gives the history of black higher education in the United States. Chapter 3 profiles 109 black institutions of learning. Chapter 4 provides a comparative overview of black higher education in terms of enrollment patterns, faculty composition, and staff composition. Chapter 5 reviews the literature on campus race relations. Chapter 6 provides an empirical account of race relations among black and white students and faculty on ten black and five white southeastern college campuses. The study concludes with a complete and up-to-date list of references on race relations and blacks in American higher education.
Review
A concise historical and sociological examination of, and a compelling apologetic for, historically black colleges and universities in the US. The authors make a rather strong case for HBCU's efficacious effect on African American students. Especially useful for academicians working in the areas of higher education research, race relations on college campuses, or on problems related to desegregation.Choice
Synopsis
There are currently 109 historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Established before 1964, their mission was and continues to be the education of black Americans for service and leadership in the black community as well as the wider community. Ever since Lincoln University opened its doors in 1854, controversy has raged over separate black institutions of higher learning. Roebuck and Murty review the history of black colleges from the antebellum years (prior to 1865) to the present. They provide profiles of each of the major black universities from their founding until today, including their current student composition and faculty makeup. Reviewing the literature on race relations in college life, the authors describe tensions on white and black campuses as reported in journals and periodicals. They then analyze and interpret the results of their own empirical study of race relations on fifteen campuses in the southeastern United States. This is the first comprehensive coverage of the subject.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [207]-216) and index.
About the Author
JULIAN B. ROEBUCK is Research Professor in the Criminal Justice Institute at Clark Atlanta University.KOMANDURI S. MURTY is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Criminal Justice Department at Clark Atlanta University and is the author of numerous articles and book chapters.
Table of Contents
Preface
Study Objectives and the Case for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The History of Black Higher Education in the United States
Profiles of HBCUs
HBCU Demographics, Academic Programs, Faculty and Staff
Review of Literature on Campus Race Relations
Race Relations on Five White and Ten Black Campuses
Summary and Conclusions
References
Index