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After social media learned some interesting statistics about one of the most prestigious HBCUs in the nation, Howard University, the topic of Black male enrollment in college became a popular topic. Women make up 75 percent of the student body at Howard, with the remaining number of students being male. Black men only account for 19 percent of that number.
“Everybody knows that the women dominate this campus,” said Tamarus Darby Jr., a 20-year-old sophomore at Howard.
“You see predominantly women out here running for positions, and then you see their friends, young women, showing up for them and supporting them,” he said. “It’s different for the men.”
Over the past few years, the number of Black men attending college has dropped significantly, and this trend has been more prominent at HBCUs. According to the American Institute for Boys and Men, Black men account for 26 percent of the students at HBCUs, a 12 percent drop from the 38 percent in 1976. HBCUs now have almost the same number of non-Black students as they do Black males.
There are many causes for the decline of Black male enrollment in college, but according to Harvard economist Raj Chetty, he found that “the income gap between America’s Black and white populations is entirely driven by differences in men’s economic circumstances, not women’s.” Other factors such as “high college costs, the immediate financial needs of Black families, high suspension rates in high school, and a barrage of negative messages about academic potential” all contribute to the decline of Black male enrollment as well as college completion.
“If we are serious about reducing race gaps in economic opportunity, household wealth, et cetera, then our attention should be squarely focused on economic outcomes for Black boys and men — period. Full stop,” said Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men.
Due to President Trump’s recent executive orders ending DEI programs and initiatives, programs designed for Black academic excellence are at risk for being dismantled. The White House has threatened to deny money to colleges that do not end what it refers to as racial biases, threatening cultural centers, mentorship programs, workforce recruitment efforts, and scholarship programs.
HBCUs like North Carolina A&T State University and Morgan State University are taking the initiative to combat the decline of Black male enrollment at HBCUs. North Carolina A&T launched the Male Empowerment Network, or Aggie M.E.N.,to help boost the enrollment of Black male students at HBCUs. The program offered events and mentorship centered around the welfare of Black men on campus. Morgan State’s president, David K. Wilson, launched the Presidential Task Force on the State of Black Male Enrollment at the university after Black male enrollment continued to decline despite the overall enrollment increase.
“The ongoing decline in Black male enrollment at HBCUs is a clarion call for action, and we will not stand idly by,” said President Wilson. “This task force will engage in rigorous research to understand the forces at play and develop evidence-based strategies to ensure that more Black men not only enroll at Morgan but thrive and complete their degrees.”
