What do wide receiver Reggie Langhorne, astronaut Ronald E. McNair, and former Chapel Hill mayor Kevin Foy have in common? They all attended historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the University of North Carolina school system. The five public HBCUs in North Carolina – North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T), North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), Fayetteville State University (FSU), and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) – each make important contributions to our state’s economy, reputation, and culture.
Fayetteville State University was founded in 1877 as the State Colored Normal School. It is the oldest state-supported institution of its kind in North Carolina, and the first public institution for the education of African-American teachers in the South. All five of the schools mentioned in this article were founded during the Jim Crow era when segregation was rampant, particularly in the former Confederacy. In 1891, Elizabeth City State University was founded with the enactment of House Bill 383, which established a school for “teaching and training teachers of the colored race to teach in the common schools of North Carolina.” Each of North Carolina’s HBCUs played critical roles in creating the progressive education system we have today. Here’s a look at a few of the areas where these schools shine.
Education
Education is, of course, the number one priority of any college or university, and these schools certainly hold their own in that department. In 2014, US News and World Reports ranked ECSU first in Top Public Schools Regional Colleges (South), and it is the only institution in the state to offer a four-year degree program in Aviation Science. FSU offers 43 undergraduate programs, 23 master’s programs, and 1 doctoral program to over 5,200 students, with an incredible student:faculty ratio of 16:1.
NC A&T graduates the most African-American engineers at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate levels in the country, and also graduates many African-American CPAs, landscape architects, and veterinarians. US News and World Report ranks NC A&T 1st in the country among public HBCUs. NCCU, the first public liberal arts institution for African-Americans in the nation, is the alma mater of the first black mayor of Atlanta, the first black mayor of Raleigh, and the first African-American elected to the NC Senate. Furthermore, Winston-Salem State University was the first African-American institution in the country to grant elementary education teaching degrees, and is also the third-largest degree-granting institution for nurses in North Carolina.
Research
These schools haven’t just advanced education in our state; they continue to make contributions in a variety of areas, including biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, and agricultural research. NC A&T is classified as a “High Activity Research University” by the Carnegie Institute, and ranks 3rd in sponsored funding among UNC system institutions. The university was recently awarded an NSF ERC grant for biomedical engineering and nano-biotechnology research, and as of 2009, was a recipient of more than $29 million in funding for academic and scientific research annually.
Community
Graduates of these schools are also dedicated to giving back to the community. Just look at WSSU alumna Louise Smith, who helped establish the first kindergarten program in North Carolina, or NC A&T alumna Janice Bryant Howard, the founder and CEO of the nation’s largest minority woman-owned employment agency. NCCU is nationally recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a community engaged university, and was the first school in the UNC system to require community service for graduation.
Culture
In addition to their historical importance, these HBCUs continue their tradition of enhancing and uplifting North Carolinian culture throughout the state. NCCU offers a program in Jazz Studies, and works in conjunction with the African-American Jazz Caucus to sponsor the Jazz Research Institute. NCCU’s marching band, the Marching Sound Machine, was selected to play in the 2011 Rose Bowl Parade. The Diggs Gallery at Winston-Salem State University has been named one of the nation’s best regional, contemporary African-American art galleries by the Smithsonian Institute. Students at NCCU are particularly excited about the launch of the Hip-Hop Institutethis year, which will be part of an interdisciplinary program involving the history department, mass communication, and music departments. Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder will be teaching a class on “Hip-Hop in Context” at the new institute this fall.
HBCUs have been making history in North Carolina for over a hundred years, and with so many new programs, developments, and plans in progress, we trust that they will continue to do so for many years to come. These five institutions are a central component of the UNC school system, and we’re proud to recognize all of their achievements and contributions to our society.
Links to further information about these HBCUs:
Elizabeth City State University
North Carolina A&T State University
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