The times may change for historically black colleges and universities, but much of the excellence, struggle and strain between them remains the same from year to year.
From financial crisis to athletic excellence and student recruitment highs and lows, here are the most read stories of 2018 on HBCUDIGEST.COM. Our annual Digest 50 list of the year’s most intriguing people in the HBCU community will drop here on Jan. 1, 2019.
20. A Black Male Graduates High School with a 4.5 GPA. And Isn’t Going to an HBCU? – Ishmale Powell caught the attention of HBCU Twitter in June when word of his academic prowess and lack of scholarship offers from HBCUs nationwide hit the Internet. He accepted an offer to attend UNC – Charlotte.
Ishmale Powell Shows Us Why HBCU vs. PWI Isn’t Always About Choice
19. Michigan’s ‘Fab Five’ Once Considered Transferring to an HBCU – More than 25 years after not transferring to an HBCU, Jimmy King of Fab Five fame reflects on what could have been.
18. Sources: Six Fired Following Year-Long Investigation of Howard Financial Aid Office – The story that launched the legend of Tyrone Hankerson and the HU Financial Aid finesse was the center of a national conversation internal controls at black colleges.
Howard Financial Aid Investigation Shows $369K in Misappropriated Institutional Aid
17. Bennett Accreditation Revoked, Saint Augustine’s Removed from Probation – Bennett was removed from membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities in November, ending three years of probationary status stemming from struggles with finances and enrollment. Saint Augustine’s University, which faced many of the same issues, was spared.
HBCU Digest Radio – Bennett President Phyllis W. Dawkins
The Fight For Bennett Challenges All of Us To Do Better For Black Women
SOCIAL – Benedict Board of Trustees Donates to Bennett Fundraising Efforts
LISTEN: Digest After Dark – Ya’ll Trying to Save Bennett?
16. North Carolina HBCUs Dominate 2018 HBCU Awards Finalist Ballot – The state with the most HBCUs ran away with a record number of nominations for the seventh edition of the national awards ceremony.
15. Grambling Band Director Larry Pannell to Retire – One of the nation’s great musical maestros announced his plans to bid farewell to the World Famed Tiger Marching Band.
14.The Black Middle Class is Creating New Cities. HBCUs Should Be the Anchors for the New Migration. – A bird’s eye view of the next great black migration in the United States, and the potential role of HBCUs in its development.
13. Blame For Bethune-Cookman Financial Crisis Falls Squarely on Trustees – A financial crisis from a shady dorm development deal crafted over years still looms large for the House that Mother Mary built.
Former Bethune-Cookman Trustee: “Interim President is Misleading Students”
Can Bethune-Cookman’s Board of Trustees Be Removed?
12. Little League World Series Legend Mo’ne Davis Headed to Hampton – The pitcher who captivated America with a wicked fastball is taking her talents to a Home by the Sea.
11. Alabama A&M Makes Andrew Hugine the Million Dollar Man – A unique contract extension for Dr. Hugine underscores his tenure as one of the nation’s most productive college presidents.
10. Georgia State May Act Like an HBCU, But Here’s the List That Shows Exactly Why It is Not Even Close – Georgia State’s place as one of the nation’s best education hubs for African Americans is debunked with a simple list and an idea that an HBCU is more than just a place for black students.
Black Student Success Report Card Shows PWI Failure is More Valuable Than HBCU Excellence
HBCUs Outpace Flagship PWIs in Black Freshman Enrollment
9. North Carolina A&T’s Tarik Cohen Makes NFL History, Immediately Credits HBCUs –In a refreshing change of pace, NCAT grad and Chicago Bears standout Tarik Cohen puts the value of HBCU athletics on a national platform.
NBA Players Association Expands HBCU Support with Apparel Donation to SIAC
NBA Star Chris Paul: “I’m One of the Few People in My Family That Didn’t Go to an HBCU.”
Southern Alumni Make NBA History
What’s Up With the NFL’s HBCU Love Fest?
Greg Moore and the SIAC Show the Future of HBCU Sports
8. Why FAMU May Be the Center of America’s Anti-Trump Movement –A full roster of Florida A&M University graduates ran for and one public office this year or earned national exposure in the process of the same. In an era of more minority presence in political campaigning, FAMU is positioning as one of the premier campuses for training future elected officials.
7. Bethune-Cookman May Be a Mess, But the Band is On Netflix!
An extraordinary opportunity for the Wildcat Marching Band was spoiled by historic levels of negative publicity surrounding Bethune-Cookman’s financial crisis.
Bethune-Cookman Deserves More Than the ‘Blacktivist’ Treatment
6. How HU Resist and Rihanna Just Made Howard Financial Aid Issues Much Worse –A case study on HBCU student protest, social media capital, and government education policy.
5. W.E.B. DuBois Predicted the Demise of HBCUs Nearly 60 Years Ago
– Welp.
4. Judge Emmet Sullivan Read Michael Flynn for Treasonous Filth. And He’s a Howard University Grad– Howard University made national news in unexpected ways when an esteemed graduated dragged a disgraced former Trump Administration member through the courtroom and into history.
3. Can HBCU Presidents Run Schools and Greek Organizations at the Same Time? – An analysis of the threats and opportunities of HBCU presidents holding leadership roles with Black Greek-Lettered Organizations.
2. Why Don’t Famous HBCU Alumni Send Their Children To Their Alma Maters?– A legitimate question for members of the black middle and upper middle class created by HBCUs.
1. Saint Augustine’s is On the Verge of Closure, Trustees and Consultants Fear
Saint Paul’s Alumni Donate $25,000 to Saint Augustine’s
Jarvis Christian, St. Augustine’s Show HBCU Value Add to Black American Healthcare
Uncertainty Looms Over St. Augustine’s Finances, But Alumni, Episcopal Church Remain Invested
