Which statements about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are correct?

Question

Multiple select question.

Every Southern Reconstruction government founded at least one HBCU.

The first HBCU was Howard University in Washington, D.C.

The Morrill Act of 1862 provided funding for the creation of HBCUs.

The first HBCU was opened by a Quaker philanthropist in Pennsylvania.

Most HBCUs opened in the South in the decades after the Civil War.

Answer 1

The correct statements about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are:

1. The first HBCU was opened by a Quaker philanthropist in Pennsylvania.

   • This refers to Cheyney University, which is considered the first HBCU, founded in 1837.

2. Most HBCUs opened in the South in the decades after the Civil War.

   • After the Civil War, many HBCUs were established in the South as part of efforts to educate formerly enslaved people.

The other statements are incorrect:

• "Every Southern Reconstruction government founded at least one HBCU." This is not accurate as not every Southern state established an HBCU during Reconstruction.

• "The first HBCU was Howard University in Washington, D.C." While Howard University is one of the most well-known HBCUs, it was not the first.

• "The Morrill Act of 1862 provided funding for the creation of HBCUs." The Morrill Act provided land grant colleges primarily for white institutions, and it did not specifically fund the creation of HBCUs. The land grant program for HBCUs came later with the Morrill Act of 1890.