Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions with the goal of offering higher education to Black Americans, founded before the civil rights movements. The first HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, was founded by Richard Thomas in 1837. Today there are a little more than 100 nationwide.
HBCUs started adding sports programs in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. At the time, the colleges offered the best opportunities for African American college athletes. In these schools, African Americans could compete without facing the challenges of going to a non HBCU. African American athletes attending predominantly white colleges would regularly face intentional attempts to injure them, positional segregation, and racial discrimination.
HBCUs have had many of the best teams and athletes in sports history. Grambling State University in Louisiana had one of the most successful college football programs in history. Under the coaching of Eddie Robinson, the Tigers won 408 games with only 165 losses, setting a world record at the time for the most games won by a college football coach. During his 56 year run, Coach Robinson won nine HBCU championships and 17 championship tournaments in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championships (SWAC). Many of his players from Grambling State University would go on to play professionally. He sent over 200 players to the NFL, including Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams.
Another HBCU, the Tennessee State University (TSU) Tigerbelles, is one of the most celebrated track and field programs in the history of these schools. Led by Ed Temple, the team would dominate women’s track in the early 1950s and continuing through the 1970s. They would go on to win 34 national team titles and would win more than 20 Olympic medals. The Tigerbelles launched many track stars, including Wyomia Tyus who was the first person to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 100 meter dash and Wilma Rudolph who became the first American woman to win three gold track and field medals in one Olympic game.
Texas Southern University arguably has the current best HBCU college basketball program today. Since the start of the 1990s, they have made 11 NCAA Division 1 tournaments, also known as March Madness. This number exceeds any other historically Black college.
Despite their rich history, HBCU sports programs face many challenges, including lack of funding compared to other predominantly white colleges. Today, these institutions still remain crucial in fostering opportunities for Black athletes.