-
Attend an American College
John Chavis, a minister and teacher, born in 1763 in Granville County, N. C., is the first African American on record to attend and receive a degree from an American college. John Chavis attended what is now known as Washington and Lee University in Virginia. Later in life, Chavis opened a private school in North Carolina where he taught both white and black students. Reference:
John Chavis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from http://www2.wlu.edu/x30476.xml -
Graduate from College
Alexander Lucius Twilight was the first known African American to graduate from a college in the United States, receiving a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont.
Twilight later became a principal and then a state legislator. Reference:
Jordan, J. (2013). Black americans 17th century to 21st century: Black struggles and successes. Place of publication not identified: Trafford Publishing. -
Higher Education open to African Americans
Oberlin College in Ohio was founded and from its founding the college is open to blacks and women. Oberlin had a reputation as a center for abolitionist activities and many of the college’s presidents embraced these efforts. Oberlin was a key stop along the Underground Railroad. Reference:
Oberlin College History. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from https://new.oberlin.edu/about/history.dot -
College Medical Department for African Americans
Washington, DC's Howard University was the first Historically Black College or University to open up a medical department in their school. On Monday, November 9, 1868, at 5:00 p.m., classes began with eight students (7 blacks and 1 white) and five faculty members. Reference:
Short History of HUCM | College of Medicine | Howard University. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from http://healthsciences.howard.edu/education/colleges/medicine/about/mission/short-history -
Obtain a PhD from Harvard
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, popularly known as W.E.B Du Bois is the first African American to earn a Ph.D from Harvard University. He was an American civil rights activist, leader, Pan-Africanist, sociologist, educator, historian, writer, editor, poet, and scholar. Reference:
NAACP History: W.E.B. Dubois. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history-w.e.b.-dubois -
UNCF
The United Negro College Fund was established by Frederick Douglass Patterson to raise money for private historically black colleges. UNCF is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. In its 70 year history the organization has raised more than $4.5 billion to help more than 400,000 students attend college and graduate from college. Reference:
Help us deliver Better Futures® for all Americans. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from http://www.uncf.org/ -
Desegragation of Schools
In Brown v. Board of education of Topeka, Kansas, the US Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools in unconstitutional. Although, the decision overturned with the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation , the ruling put the Constitution on the side of racial equality and galvanized the nascent civil rights movement into a full revolution. Reference:
McBride, A. (2006, December 1). Expanding Civil Rights: Landmark Cases. Retrieved Oct -
Stregthen HBCUs
President Ronald Reagan signs Executive Order 12320 which creates the White House Initiative on Historically Black College and Universities and encourages federal support for HBCUs. Reference:
Key Events in Black Higher Education. (2011, September 22). Retrieved October 31, 2015. -
Youngest Student to Enrool in Ivy League Colege
Brittney Exline of Colorado Springs enrolls as a freshman student at the University of Pennsylvania. At the age of 15, she is the youngest African-American female ever to enroll at an Ivy League university. Exline graduated in 2011 and went on to become the youngest black Engineer. Reference:
Key Events in Black Higher Education. (2011, September 22). Retrieved October 31, 2015. -
Black Ivy Leage Students
Researchers at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania find that 40% of all black students at the 8 Ivy League colleges had at least one parent who was born outside the United States. Reference:
Key Events in Black Higher Education. (2011, September 22). Retrieved October 31, 2015.
