A Response to Racism: How HBCU Enrollment Grew in the Face of Hatred

Abstract

Over the past three years, about one-third of HBCUs have experienced record increases in applications and enrollment. Anecdotal information credits racial tensions, the political climate under the Trump administration, and what HBCU President Walter M. Kimbrough calls the “Missouri Effect”—the recent surge in race based harassment of Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) for the enrollment resurgence. This empirical study explores—if and how, these events may have contributed to the increase in HBCU enrollment. Specifically, using a qualitative approach, we interviewed 80 students across four HBCUs of various types (e.g., public, private, comprehensive, and research-intensive). The findings from our study provide empirical evidence pertaining to how the “Missouri Effect” influenced Black student enrollment at HBCUs.