Except when that stability falters. Lately it seems there are just too many HBCUs in the news for the wrong reason, one being financial and accreditation woes that threaten, or deliver, closure.
On June 3, Saint Paul’s College officials announced that it planned to close its doors—at least temporarily. The news followed a proposed merger with Saint Augustine’s University that fell through. After 125 years, the rural school that employs roughly 75 people in the community of Lawrenceville, Va., had no choice but to close its doors to new students and help current ones find placement elsewhere.
After several years of highly-publicized financial problems, Morris Brown College turned down a bailout from the city of Atlanta in June that would have eliminated its bankruptcy troubles. In August, Morris Brown filed for federal bankruptcy protection to prevent foreclosure. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and other city officials were more than a little surprised when the school rejected the $10 million offer that was designed to benefit the city too. A Morris Brown lawyer said the rejection is due to the school receiving an undisclosed, better offer from somewhere else. For now, though, Morris Brown is still $35 million in over its head, by some accounts.
Why is this happening?
In the case of Morris Brown, a few factors play into the closure issue. The first is geographic location. Morris Brown competes for students with four other HBCUS, including nationally ranked Morehouse and Spelman colleges. The other is money. The alumni of Morris Brown contribute at a rate of less than 5 percent and board members are led by the African Methodist Episcopalian church—not affluent community members or alumni. Saint Paul’s has tried for several years to stay afloat, even cutting out its athletic programs to focus on academics, but to no avail. In both cases, lack of funds is due, in part, to low student enrollment, as well as meager alumni contributions.
Specifics aside, though, I think HBCU closures are part of a larger issue. The original purpose of these schools was to provide higher education opportunities to Black students and, in many cases, to former slaves. Morris Brown holds a particularly fond place in Black education history because the school was founded by former slaves—not White people with philanthropic agendas.
