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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

Research Finds Hampton University Offers the Best Return On Investment of Any HBCU

Compared to other HBCUs, Hampton University comes the closest to offering its undergraduate alumni a net-zero 10-year return on investment, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Career Institute. It takes the median-earning bachelor's-degree recipient 10.5 years to payback the full cost of attending Hampton University.

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Quote of the Week

“It is a cynical ploy to pit minority communities against each other and we won’t stand for it.”

Yvette Clarke,
chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, commenting on the Trump administration's decision to divert grants for Minority Serving Institutions to HBCUs (see JBHE post)

Statistic of the Week

$59,980
The median income of Black households in the United States in 2025
$96,710
The median income of non-Hispanic White households in the United States in 2025

source: U.S. Census Bureau (see JBHE post)

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JBHE Archives

All Recent Posts

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Justice Department Dismisses More Than 50 School Desegregation Cases Dating Back to the Jim Crow Era

More than 50 school desegregation cases filed in the 1960s and 1970s will be dismissed by the Justice Department. According to the department, these cases are “onerous and outdated consent decrees” that no longer require federal oversight.

Swarthmore College Dedicates Academic Building to Two Black Scholars

Swarthmore College has renamed an academic building to Edley-Morgan Hall in honor of alumnus and former Harvard Law School professor Christopher F. Edley Jr. and Kathryn L. Morgan, the college's first African American professor.

In Memoriam: Lorenzo Morris, 1946–2026

Dr. Morris was a longtime professor and former chair of the department of political science at Howard University. His scholarship centered on international and American public policy, electoral behavior, African American politics, and presidential politics.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Trump Administration Announces $174 Million Investment to Support HBCUs

The Trump Administration's latest investment in HBCUs follows a prior investment of $435 million in September 2025. These funds were initially allocated for programs supporting Minority-Serving Institutions, which include Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Predominately Black Institutions.

The Racial Income Gap Narrows But Remains Huge

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.

New Dean Appointments for Three African Americans

Deshjuana Bagley is the inaugural dean of the new College of Workforce Development and Applied Science at Louisiana State University Eunice. Montrose A. Streeter is the dean of students at Lyon College and Nolan McMurray is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Alcorn State University in Mississippi.

Honda Announces $10 Million Endowment to Support HBCUs

Honda's new Drive the Legacy Fund will provide HBCUs with institutional grants that aim to address challenges such as such as chronic underfunding and capital investment gaps, aging physical infrastructure, digital and technology infrastructure deficits, and faculty recruitment and retention challenges.

Five Black Scholars Selected for New Faculty Roles

Camille A. Brown was named to an endowed professorship in dance at the University of Southern California. Robert R. Lindsey of Johnson C. Smith University and Ashley Leak Bryant of the University of North Carolina are taking on new leadership roles. Amaryah Shaye Armstrong and Tré Watkins are new assistant professors at Columbia university and Point Loma Nazarene University, respectively.

All Recent Posts

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Justice Department Dismisses More Than 50 School Desegregation Cases Dating Back to the Jim Crow Era

More than 50 school desegregation cases filed in the 1960s and 1970s will be dismissed by the Justice Department. According to the department, these cases are “onerous and outdated consent decrees” that no longer require federal oversight.

Swarthmore College Dedicates Academic Building to Two Black Scholars

Swarthmore College has renamed an academic building to Edley-Morgan Hall in honor of alumnus and former Harvard Law School professor Christopher F. Edley Jr. and Kathryn L. Morgan, the college's first African American professor.

In Memoriam: Lorenzo Morris, 1946–2026

Dr. Morris was a longtime professor and former chair of the department of political science at Howard University. His scholarship centered on international and American public policy, electoral behavior, African American politics, and presidential politics.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.