HBCUs Are Economic Engines in Their Local Economies and the Nation, Fantasy or Reality?

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to chronicle the economic impact that 107 HBCUs have made in their community, in particular, and in the United States generally. There is a need and a duty to educate the communities and inform the nation the critical roles HBCUs play in the lives of the graduates of these institutions. The chapter will robustly reference the seminal study, “HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” commissioned by UNCF's Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute. The report shows that the economic benefits of HBCUs extend to more than just the students themselves. They are equally important to the communities, and the regions, that HBCUs have served for more than 100 years.