The following are short descriptions of the major institutions which have contributed to the shaping of African American history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
Founded in 1912 near Hawkins, Texas, the Jarvis Christian Institute (renamed Jarvis Christian College in 1927), owed its existence to both the philanthropy of white Disciples of Christ and to the initiative of African American Disciples of Christ. On the one hand, J. J. Jarvis … Read MoreJarvis Christian College (1912- )
Shaw University is a private, four-year coeducational historically black liberal arts university located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1865, Shaw University is one of the oldest historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the country. Shaw was originally founded as Raleigh Institute, a school … Read MoreShaw University (1865- )
Rust College was founded in 1866 by the Freeman’s Aid Society’s missionaries of the Methodist Episcopal Church with the goal of providing basic education for adults and children who had formerly been enslaved. Located outside Holly Springs, Mississippi, the College is currently affiliated with the … Read MoreRust College (1866- )
Elizabeth City State University was established in 1891 as a response to a bill, enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly, which proposed the creation of a normal school for the training of black teachers in the state. Located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the … Read MoreElizabeth City State University (1891- )
Edward Waters College was founded in 1866 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) for the education of newly freed slaves. Located near downtown Jacksonville, Florida, the college currently sits on 23 acres and houses Centennial Hall (a nationally registered historic structure), the school’s oldest … Read MoreEdward Waters College (1866- )
Knoxville College was founded in 1875 as a missionary effort of the United Presbyterian Church of North America in order to promote religious, moral, and educational leadership among freed men and women. Located north of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, in the city’s Mechanicsville community, the college … Read MoreKnoxville College (1875- )
With an enrollment of approximately 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students, Howard University is the fifth largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU). It has been labeled “the capstone of Negro education,” because of its central role in the African American educational experience. Among historically black … Read MoreHoward University (1867- )
Oakwood College is a private, four-year coeducational historically black liberal arts university located in Huntsville, Alabama; the small urban campus is five minutes from downtown. Sitting on 1,185 acres, Oakwood University is one of the historical landmarks of Huntsville. It is the only historically black … Read MoreOakwood University (1896- )
Xavier University is a private, four-year coeducational historically black university located in New Orleans, Louisiana; the campus is located one mile from downtown New Orleans. Xavier University is the only historically black college or university (HBCU) affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Xavier was founded … Read MoreXavier University [New Orleans] (1915- )
One of the first U.S. institutions to offer a liberal arts education to former slaves in the post-Civil War South, Fisk opened its doors in Nashville, Tennessee, just nine months after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. General Clinton B. Fisk of the Tennessee Freedmen’s Bureau … Read MoreFisk University (1866- )
