Curtis Valentine: Black Colleges and the Achievement Gap: Can HBCUs Be the Answer to Closing the Gap?

Curtis Valentine: Black Colleges and the Achievement Gap: Can HBCUs Be the Answer to Closing the Gap?: While the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on our country and its history is unquestioned, the future of many struggling HBCUs remains in doubt. Dr. John Wilson, Executive Director of the White House Initiative, began their recent summit with the declaration that "HBCUs should be cathedrals of excellence [for our nation's students]." With those words, summit attendees discussed topics ranging from how to secure a federal contract to how to prepare to be a good Trustee Board member. Unfortunately, a key topic missing from this year's summit was how HBCUs are both a source and can be a solution to the growing Black-White achievement gap. Can the role HBCUs play in preparing educators and remediating students be what's missing from the education reform debate?