Black colleges face contrasting prospects under Trump and Harris

While Donald Trump has again claimed to have “saved” the country’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as president, their fate in his second term would be very different from that under a real-life “champion” of the institutions in Kamala Harris, according to experts.

As the Democratic nominee rises in the polls, Mr Trump has lashed out at Ms Harris, who is mixed race, accusing the current vice-president of “turning black” – despite her time at a leading HBCU, Howard University, and her membership of the black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.

For precisely this reason, Marybeth Gasman, distinguished professor of education at Rutgers University – New Brunswick, said victory for Ms Harris on 5 November would be a huge boost for HBCUs because she represents their “strength and future”.

“When an institution produces a president, it is a significant bragging right, and Howard will be the first HBCU to do it. I think it will be wonderfully inspiring to future HBCU students, alumni of HBCUs, and that enrolments will definitely increase,” she said.

Campus resource collection: Being Black in the academy

After witnessing a slump in applications in the previous decade, HBCUs have rebounded since 2020 and the death of George Floyd, as students and families seek both quality education and safe spaces, according to Walter Kimbrough, interim president of Talladega College in Alabama.

However, he warned that while some “big-brand” institutions, such as Howard, are recording large increases in application numbers, lesser-known colleges are in a “struggle for students and philanthropy”.

That was despite historic levels of investment from the Biden administration, which, Professor Gasman said, has shown a “genuine commitment” to their advancement. In addition to large-scale student debt cancellation, she said, the administration expanded research opportunities for HBCUs, introduced infrastructure loan forgiveness for 45 HBCUs, and provided financial support when a number faced bomb threats in 2022.

In recent weeks, Hampton University, a private, historically black research university in Virginia, faced another bomb threat, which Professor Gasman said showed that some racists had realised the “power in HBCUs and how they are shaping the nation in very positive ways”.

She said Ms Harris would “continue to champion these institutions” if elected, while she was deeply concerned that Mr Trump might cut programmes that help HBCUs and their students.

In a fractious recent interview with the National Association of Black Journalists, the Republican candidate reiterated that HBCUs had been “stone-cold broke” until he “saved them” and provided long-term financing.

However, these institutions have long received federal support through bipartisan congressional efforts, according to Professor Gasman, and Mr Trump requested millions of dollars in cuts to vital “Title III” programmes in all four of his budgets.

“Trump often exaggerates his contributions,” she added. “There is ample evidence that he regularly does this and lies. The truth is that when Trump came to office, HBCUs didn’t need to be saved, nor did Trump get HBCUs all the funding.”

Dr Kimbrough said HBCUs were “critical pillars of black communities”, and that both campaigns would have to incorporate them in serious plans for black America to get elected.

While they enjoy bipartisan support from Congress, Dr Kimbrough warned, a threat could arise if the “Project 2025” vision associated with Mr Trump’s campaign were to come to fruition.

“The danger would be eliminating the Department of Education, as many of the programmes and services that benefit HBCUs come out of that department. So that would be a potential hazard.”

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com