Boston Students Look to HBCUs Amid Pressure on Higher Ed

As federal pressure mounts on higher education institutions to scale back diversity and equity programs, some Boston-area students are turning to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for both opportunity and refuge.

According to WBUR, President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed broad cuts to federal funding for higher education, including programs tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While Trump recently called HBCUs “beacons of educational excellence,” professors and students say those same cuts threaten the future of their institutions.

“Students and parents are making choices that feel like they can have some safety,” said Dr. Leah Barlow, a professor of African American studies at North Carolina A&T, in an interview with WBUR. “It’s very difficult to avoid what the news is currently telling us about education.”

Chase Bowdre, a senior at South Shore Christian Academy, plans to attend Spelman College this fall. “We weren’t taught about [HBCUs] in school,” she told WBUR. “But I’ve seen what Spelman and Morehouse can do for young men and women—it’s been a great influence on me.”

Enrollment at HBCUs has climbed since the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end race-conscious admissions, and tours hosted by organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston continue to inspire interest. Students from neighborhoods like Roxbury and South Boston recently visited schools such as Fisk University and Morehouse College.

“Being around that inspired me to become a better person,” said Ashton Jacquees, a junior at Cathedral High School. “I feel like Morehouse—or just an HBCU in general—would help.