Inés Francom
Staff Writer
There are eleven HBCUs across North Carolina including, Winston-Salem State University, Fayetteville State University, Bennett college, Elizabeth City State College, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, North Carolina Agricultutal and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, Saint Augustine’s University, and Shaw University.
Most students at R.J. Reynolds High School have lived in Winston-Salem their entire lives, seen the same faces throughout their years at school, and generally the same group of friends. But for some, that constant state of ‘sameness’ gets thrown out the window when they go to college.
Suddenly there are thousands of schools to explore, hundreds of different locations, and so many different scenarios to experience. One thing most students will stumble upon in their search for colleges is historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. North Carolina is in a unique position when speaking of HBCUs, as it is home to 11 of the 101 HBCUs across the country.
“The common theme of working with HBCUs is they were founded to provide educational [opportunities] for black students, African-American students, and those individuals who were not able to enter into White colleges and universities,” Dr. Jon Kapell, Winston-Salem State University Assistant Dean of Students said.
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) was founded in 1892 by Simon Green Atkins. They started as a small university where a class of 25 students were taught in one classroom, by one professor. But with more funding, student interest, and time, WSSU grew to its impressive 39 different buildings, and 4,700 students. However, the growth and improvements seen in WSSU are not isolated, with new things happening on HBCU campuses daily.
“That’s what I like about HBCUs,” Philip Boyd, a teacher at RJR and a graduate of North Carolina Central University, an HBCU, said. “They’re always growing. They’re always improving.”
During Boyd’s time at North Carolina Central University, they built new eateries and new student centers. These new buildings along with growing clubs and programs on campus exposed students to different career paths, interview skills, internships, and communities, allowing students to have the best college experience possible year after year.
“NC Central University didn’t change my identity, it just enhanced it,” Boyd said.
HBCUs themselves also provided a unique opportunity for Black students, as HBCUs are mostly made up of African-American students, encouraging them to delve into their identities in a welcoming familiar environment.
“HBCUs provide opportunities for Black and African-American students to really celebrate Black culture,” Kapell said. “In an environment where they are not [only] surrounded but are embraced around a culture of similar individuals who can make it a more comfortable environment for learning, and provide opportunities to engage, be around people who look like them and are like them.”
The lack of inclusivity in many colleges can create extra challenges for students of color trying to succeed in university. Along with going through the growth pains of new towns, friends, and classes, students of color are the minorities in most universities making ‘fitting in’ that much more difficult.
“I did go to the University of North Carolina Wilmington for grad school,” Boyd said. “I went from being a majority to a minority and it was the biggest change ever. It took all two years of grad school to adjust to the different people and surroundings at UNCW.”
This phenomenon is not unique to students in their twenties; as many people of color are marginalized in group settings and feel pressured to assimilate to the people around them.
“There’s a term called code-switching,” Kapell said. “Which a lot of our Black and African-American students in predominantly white institutions will experience, and that is talking [differently] to fit in with a dominant culture and get up [rooted from who they are]. On a campus like Winston-Salem State University, and other HBCUs around the country, students can unequivocally be themselves, be comfortable in that environment, and be embraced as who they are. We know that when you are comfortable in an environment and you feel safe, you are better able to learn.”
HBCUs provide an opportunity and a service to students that not all colleges can offer, making them unique and irreplaceable, yet they still manage unfair but common systematic issues.
“I think some of the challenges that we face as an HBCU is funding,” Kapell said. “I don’t think that we are funded as equitably as some of the predominant white, or PWI, institutions in the country And even in the area.”
Although HBCUs historically serve Black communities, they are not schools exclusive to Black students. Every student can find a place within HBCUs, and benefit from the supportive communities within HBCUS.
“About 88% of [WSSU] student population is Black or African-American,” Kapell said. “However, it is not exclusively Black. It is historically Black. So there is a population of White, Hispanic, Asian, and Indian students who attend. And I will also comment that being an HBCU, while a large number of faculty and staff are Black and African-American, it is not exclusive. I identify as a White male, and I’m a university administrator here at the university.”
HBCUs have something to offer for every college student. Along with inclusivity and continuous improvements to the campuses, HBCUs are long-established and well-run universities. WSSU was ranked number one in North Carolina for economic mobility in 2023 by the New York Times and in 2024 by U.S. News and World Report.
“I have sent over fifty students to NC Central during my time here at Reynolds,” Boyd said. “Over fifty have been there because of my influence, and there’re some [students who] in the fall they’ll be at North Carolina Central. I’ve sent cheerleaders, I’ve sent football players. I’ve sent track athletes. I’ve sent people in the band to Central.”
While HBCUs provide a lot for college students, and despite the challenges they face, above all else, HBCUs are still colleges. With the same expired ramen, cramped mini-fridges in dorms, parties, and intense midnight midterm studying as anywhere else.
“In my experience, everybody was happy [at North Carolina Central],” Boyd said. “Everybody was just always happy and friendly. It’s a big family. You go to North Carolina Central, you’re always greeted, every time.”