The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

Four Black Scholars With Academic Ties Named MacArthur Fellows

The four Black scholars with current affiliations with American educational institutions are Ellora Derenoncourt of Princeton University, Rodney McMillian of UCLA, Maaza Mengiste of Wesleyan University, and Immanuel Wilkins of New York University.

Calvin White Jr. Named the First Black Chancellor of Arkansas State University

Breaking News
In addition to his latest ground-breaking appointment, Dr. White was also the first African American to serve as provost at Arkansas State University. He joined the university in 2023 and has served as interim chancellor for the past three months.

Addrain Conyers Appointed Interim Provost at Marist University in New York

Breaking News
A scholar of criminology, Dr. Conyers has been a faculty member with Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, for the past 14 years. He was recently selected to serve as the university's interim provost and dean of faculty.

*U.S. News & World Report* Names Spelman College the Country’s Top HBCU

Breaking News
For the twentieth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has named Spelman College in Atlanta the best HBCU in the United States. Howard University was second, Tuskegee University was third, Morehouse College was fourth, and North Carolina A&T State University was fifth.

Research & Studies

Racial Differences in How Long Students Take to Earn an Undergraduate Degree

Among Black students who earned an undergraduate award (bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, or certificates) in 2024–2025, those attending HBCUs completed their program faster than those attending other institutions.

The Majority of Voters Believe Race Relations in the U.S. Are Getting Worse

Despite fears about race relations and the rise of White supremacy, more than nine-in-ten voters say America's diversity makes the country stronger, according to a new poll commissioned by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Black Poverty Rate Declines, But Huge Racial Gap Remains

Racial Gap
In 2025, more than 7.9 million African Americans were living with incomes below the official poverty rate. Nearly one quarter of all Black children live in poverty.

Less Than Half of Columbia University’s Black Students Say They Feel Accepted for Their Race

Research & Studies
In 2025, 54 percent of Columbia University's Black students said they feel a sense of belonging on campus, but only 43 percent said they feel accepted for their race or ethnicity.

Black Adults Face Significantly Higher Financial Burden From the Criminal Legal System

Racial Gap
In 2024, Black adults were more likely than other adults to face any kind of fines or fees relating to the criminal legal system. Black adults were twice as likely to White adults to have been assessed court- or incarceration-related costs, which often carry larger financial burdens and severe consequences for nonpayment.

The Racial Income Gap Narrows But Remains Huge

Racial Gap
The median income of Black households in the United States is only 62 percent of the median income of non-Hispanic White families. The racial gap in median income has remained virtually unchanged for more than a half-century.

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Quote of the Week

“I was doing the happy dance.”

Anthony Davis,
president of Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, when told the college had its largest first-year enrollment in nearly 150 years

Features

Statistic of the Week

65%
Percentage of Black American adults in 2019 who said obtaining a college education is very important
40%
Percentage of Black American adults in 2026 who said obtaining a college education is very important

source: Gallup Organization

Popular Categories

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JBHE Archives

All Recent Posts

HBCUs

South Carolina State University Cuts Nine Academic Programs

Four of the cut programs enroll zero students, another four enroll a combined 29 students, and the ninth program — mechanical engineering technology — will be phased out as the HBCU now offers a full mechanical engineering degree.
Appointments & Awards

Six Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions

The appointments are Carole Boyce-Davies at Howard University, Whitney Fields at Vassar College, Anthony Robinson at Wayne State University, Angel Jones at the University of Washington Tacoma, Sandra Thomas-Lalmansingh at McDaniel College, and Kira Reed at Syracuse University.
HBCUs

Shaw University Alumni Raise Formal Concerns With the HBCU’s Administration

A group of alumni from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, have sent a formal complaint to the North Carolina Attorney General's Office regarding concerns with their alma mater's administration. The alumni are wary of the HBCU's financial and real estate management, as well as an unclear university master plan.
Appointments & Awards

Zophia Edwards Receives National Book Award in Sociology

Dr. Edwards is an assistant professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She was recently honored by the American Sociological Association for her latest book, Fueling Development: How Black Radical Trade Unionism Transformed Trinidad and Tobago.
Grants and Gifts

National Park Service Awards $10.7 Million in Grants to Eleven HBCUs

Eleven HBCUs have received a combined $10.7 million in grant funding from the National Park Service to support the preservation and stabilization of historic campus buildings.
Appointments & Awards

New Administrative Appointments for Six Black Americans in Higher Education

The appointments are Lance Kennedy-Phillips at Pennsylvania State University, Kiona Sinks at Metropolitan Community College, Ike Ugboaha at Talladega College, Johnny Bernard Hill at Shaw University, Maya T. Mapp at Bronx Community College, and Leandra Hayes-Burgess at North Carolina A&T State University.
African-American History

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Resignations

Virginia Tech Vice President Lance Collins to Retire in January

Dr. Collins joined Virginia Tech in 2020 after nearly two decades on the faculty at Cornell University, where he ultimately served as the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. He was the first African American dean at Cornell.
Books

Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
Enrollments

Yale University Reports a Decline in Black First-Year Students

African Americans represent 10 percent of Yale's class of 2030. This is the lowest share of Black first-year students at the Ivy League university in the past 10 years.
African-American History

Bard College in New York Establishes the Ralph Ellison Center

The Ralph Ellison Center will serve as the new home for the Ralph Ellison archive. Currently housed at the Library of Congress, the archive will undergo an extensive digitization project by students, faculty, and other scholars.
Articles

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
HBCUs

Racial Differences in How Long Students Take to Earn an Undergraduate Degree

Among Black students who earned an undergraduate award (bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, or certificates) in 2024–2025, those attending HBCUs completed their program faster than those attending other institutions.
Breaking News

Four Black Scholars With Academic Ties Named MacArthur Fellows

The four Black scholars with current affiliations with American educational institutions are Ellora Derenoncourt of Princeton University, Rodney McMillian of UCLA, Maaza Mengiste of Wesleyan University, and Immanuel Wilkins of New York University.
Research & Studies

The Majority of Voters Believe Race Relations in the U.S. Are Getting Worse

Despite fears about race relations and the rise of White supremacy, more than nine-in-ten voters say America's diversity makes the country stronger, according to a new poll commissioned by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Breaking News

Calvin White Jr. Named the First Black Chancellor of Arkansas State University

In addition to his latest ground-breaking appointment, Dr. White was also the first African American to serve as provost at Arkansas State University. He joined the university in 2023 and has served as interim chancellor for the past three months.
Racial Gap

Black Poverty Rate Declines, But Huge Racial Gap Remains

In 2025, more than 7.9 million African Americans were living with incomes below the official poverty rate. Nearly one quarter of all Black children live in poverty.
Breaking News

Addrain Conyers Appointed Interim Provost at Marist University in New York

A scholar of criminology, Dr. Conyers has been a faculty member with Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, for the past 14 years. He was recently selected to serve as the university's interim provost and dean of faculty.
HBCUs

Bowie State University to Lay Off 20 Faculty Members

Bowie State University plans to cut 20 faculty positions by the start of fiscal year 2028. These layoffs follow the HBCU's decision to cut 79 staff positions during the Spring 2026 semester in an effort to alleviate its $18 million deficit ahead of fiscal year 2027.
Appointments & Awards

Four Black Women Selected for New Faculty Roles

Camille Borders and Sophia Mongero are new assistant professors at Bates College in Maine and Smith College in Massachusetts, respectively. Jametta A. Davis is assistant director of the Hampton University Honors College and Kiana Dibo-Armstrong is chair of the department of social work at Savannah State University.
HBCUs

Savannah State University Launches the John Lewis School of Public Policy and Social Sciences

The John Lewis School of Public Policy and Social Sciences will serve as the new home for undergraduate and graduate programs in behavior analysis, criminal justice, homeland security and emergency management, political science, sociology, and social work.
Appointments & Awards

Keisha Rogers Receives Black Mental Health Educator of the Year Award

The Black Mental Health Symposium has honored Dr. Rogers, professor of rehabilitation counseling at Winston-Salem State University, for her contributions to counselor education, mentorship, and advocacy.
HBCUs

Morehouse College Opens New Multimedia Center With Support From Michael Jordan

Housed in the HBCU's journalism in sports, culture, and social justice department, the Morehouse Multimedia Center will serve as a hub for creative productions, digital storytelling, sports broadcasting, podcasting, filmmaking, and projects developed with emerging media technologies.
Appointments & Awards

Five Black Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles at HBCUs

The appointments are Kristi L. Smith at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Alicia Williams at Grambling State University, Octavius Rice at Johnson C. Smith University, Abiodun Durojaye at Howard University, and Joshua Busby at Langston University.
Grants and Gifts

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
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All Recent Posts

HBCUs

South Carolina State University Cuts Nine Academic Programs

Four of the cut programs enroll zero students, another four enroll a combined 29 students, and the ninth program — mechanical engineering technology — will be phased out as the HBCU now offers a full mechanical engineering degree.
Appointments & Awards

Six Black Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions

The appointments are Carole Boyce-Davies at Howard University, Whitney Fields at Vassar College, Anthony Robinson at Wayne State University, Angel Jones at the University of Washington Tacoma, Sandra Thomas-Lalmansingh at McDaniel College, and Kira Reed at Syracuse University.
HBCUs

Shaw University Alumni Raise Formal Concerns With the HBCU’s Administration

A group of alumni from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, have sent a formal complaint to the North Carolina Attorney General's Office regarding concerns with their alma mater's administration. The alumni are wary of the HBCU's financial and real estate management, as well as an unclear university master plan.
Appointments & Awards

Zophia Edwards Receives National Book Award in Sociology

Dr. Edwards is an assistant professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She was recently honored by the American Sociological Association for her latest book, Fueling Development: How Black Radical Trade Unionism Transformed Trinidad and Tobago.
Grants and Gifts

National Park Service Awards $10.7 Million in Grants to Eleven HBCUs

Eleven HBCUs have received a combined $10.7 million in grant funding from the National Park Service to support the preservation and stabilization of historic campus buildings.
Appointments & Awards

New Administrative Appointments for Six Black Americans in Higher Education

The appointments are Lance Kennedy-Phillips at Pennsylvania State University, Kiona Sinks at Metropolitan Community College, Ike Ugboaha at Talladega College, Johnny Bernard Hill at Shaw University, Maya T. Mapp at Bronx Community College, and Leandra Hayes-Burgess at North Carolina A&T State University.
African-American History

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Resignations

Virginia Tech Vice President Lance Collins to Retire in January

Dr. Collins joined Virginia Tech in 2020 after nearly two decades on the faculty at Cornell University, where he ultimately served as the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. He was the first African American dean at Cornell.
Books

Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
Enrollments

Yale University Reports a Decline in Black First-Year Students

African Americans represent 10 percent of Yale's class of 2030. This is the lowest share of Black first-year students at the Ivy League university in the past 10 years.
African-American History

Bard College in New York Establishes the Ralph Ellison Center

The Ralph Ellison Center will serve as the new home for the Ralph Ellison archive. Currently housed at the Library of Congress, the archive will undergo an extensive digitization project by students, faculty, and other scholars.
Articles

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
HBCUs

Racial Differences in How Long Students Take to Earn an Undergraduate Degree

Among Black students who earned an undergraduate award (bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, or certificates) in 2024–2025, those attending HBCUs completed their program faster than those attending other institutions.
Breaking News

Four Black Scholars With Academic Ties Named MacArthur Fellows

The four Black scholars with current affiliations with American educational institutions are Ellora Derenoncourt of Princeton University, Rodney McMillian of UCLA, Maaza Mengiste of Wesleyan University, and Immanuel Wilkins of New York University.
Research & Studies

The Majority of Voters Believe Race Relations in the U.S. Are Getting Worse

Despite fears about race relations and the rise of White supremacy, more than nine-in-ten voters say America's diversity makes the country stronger, according to a new poll commissioned by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Breaking News

Calvin White Jr. Named the First Black Chancellor of Arkansas State University

In addition to his latest ground-breaking appointment, Dr. White was also the first African American to serve as provost at Arkansas State University. He joined the university in 2023 and has served as interim chancellor for the past three months.
Racial Gap

Black Poverty Rate Declines, But Huge Racial Gap Remains

In 2025, more than 7.9 million African Americans were living with incomes below the official poverty rate. Nearly one quarter of all Black children live in poverty.
Breaking News

Addrain Conyers Appointed Interim Provost at Marist University in New York

A scholar of criminology, Dr. Conyers has been a faculty member with Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, for the past 14 years. He was recently selected to serve as the university's interim provost and dean of faculty.
HBCUs

Bowie State University to Lay Off 20 Faculty Members

Bowie State University plans to cut 20 faculty positions by the start of fiscal year 2028. These layoffs follow the HBCU's decision to cut 79 staff positions during the Spring 2026 semester in an effort to alleviate its $18 million deficit ahead of fiscal year 2027.
Appointments & Awards

Four Black Women Selected for New Faculty Roles

Camille Borders and Sophia Mongero are new assistant professors at Bates College in Maine and Smith College in Massachusetts, respectively. Jametta A. Davis is assistant director of the Hampton University Honors College and Kiana Dibo-Armstrong is chair of the department of social work at Savannah State University.
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