Education
History of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Short Description: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCSs) have played a major role in the USA. Learn its history and importance here.
The United States of America has several colleges and universities across the country. There are schools focused on engineering, agriculture and technology, liberal arts, and several other specializations.
However, education in the country was not always as diverse and accessible as it is today. Once, minorities struggled to receive educational opportunities, giving birth to alternative learning methods. One such alternative to education became HBCUs.
HBCU stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Higher Education Act of 1965 that increased federal funding for universities and colleges coined the term HBCU.
HBCUs have played an important role in the African American community as institutions providing these students the opportunity to obtain higher education when no other college would. HBCUs are higher educational institutions that were established to provide education to African American students in the United States.
History of HBCUs
Before the Civil War, higher education for black people was almost non-existing. Newly freed slaves were being denied admission to traditional higher education colleges and universities. Individuals who managed to receive some education, such as Fredrick Douglass, regularly studied in lesser desirable and dangerous environments, while others had to resort to teaching themselves whatever they could.
Why Did the US Need HBCUs?
Historically Black Colleges and Universities were established to provide higher education to disenfranchised Black Americans in the US, who were initially prohibited from attending traditional American colleges and universities.
Richard Humphreys founded the first HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. During the times of slavery and segregation, most colleges and universities prohibited access to black Americans.
Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, HBCUs that were established and accredited before 1964 were officially declared as institutions of higher learning. The act also allocated federal financial assistance to these institutions. These institutions became responsible for the Black middle class constituting lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, and other professionals. HBCUs continued to harvest Black professionals, leaders, and celebrities.
Today, the two oldest medical HBCUs – Meharry Medical College and Howard University – are sources of more than 80% of the African American physicians and dentists practicing in the country.
How Did It All Start?
In 1764, when teen Richard Humphreys arrived in Philadelphia from the British Virgin Islands, he was disturbed by the conditions of African Americans in the country. Like most adherents to the Quaker principle, Humphrey opposed slavery and freely donated to abolitionist causes. He was convinced that education was the key to improving the lives of Black Americans.
At the age of 79, Humphreys modified his will, adding a bequeathment for the establishment of schools to instruct descendants of the African American race in various branches of agriculture, mechanics, arts, and trades to prepare and qualify them to work as teachers.
Humphreys passed away three years later, but his enormous philanthropic legacy continued. In 1837, 1/10 of his total estate, worth $10,000, was dedicated to developing the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia. The institute was the first to provide higher education to African Americans.
In 1904, the school was relocated to a farm owned by George Cheney, around 40 miles outside of Philadelphia. The institution was renamed as Cheney University and began to grant degrees to African American students. Today, Cheney University is the oldest African American institute, which is still operational.
Just as Richard Humphrey envisioned while making last-minute edits to his will, these educational institutions played a major role in helping African Americans get access to higher education, dismantling the difficulties for freedom.
There are several institutions founded after 1964 with rostering student bodies mostly comprising of people of color. These are not considered “historically’ Black colleges.
Although education in the HBCUs is open to students of all races, the need for designation of HBCUs can be traced back to American history in which African American students were denied access to traditional American colleges and universities. These institutions arose out of necessity and were the only resort Black Americans had to receive higher education or attain graduate and undergraduate degrees for many years.
Hence, these colleges and universities can be considered symbolic of the segregation and the slavery era of American history.
The Second Morrill Land Act
In 1890, the Second Morrill Land-Grant Act stated that the states that wanted to use the federal land-grant funds had to make their schools and colleges open for Blacks and Whites or the funds should be given to segregated Black colleges to operate properly as a substitute to White schools.
Sixteen Black educational institutions were given 1890 land-grant funds. At this point, several HBCUs were already established, including Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Harris-Stowe University, University of the District of Columbia, and Howard University. However, the Second Morrill Land-Grant Act opened the doors for many HBCUs to establish with government funding.
Why Are HBCUs Still Relevant?
While the initial mission of these institutions was to educate side-lined and segregated African Americans, today, these institutions are comprised of students from all demographics. Currently, one-fourth of the total students enrolled in the HBCUs are of non-Black ethnicity.
Still, HBCUs are considered as the best option for African American students to get higher education. Many students at Howard University say that HBCUs are among the very few institutions that have surpassed racism, which is still prevalent in society. HBCU supporters say these institutions are not only important for African American students but also for the whole society.
A White student from Howard, Mark McCluskey, says he was considered a minority for the first time in his life but shares the sentiments of his peers about the value of preserving HBCUs. These institutions are relevant in the current society because they can spread knowledge about various cultures that the country has ignored over the past two centuries.
HBCUs serve society as an environment that encourages belonging, empowerment, and a sense of Black determination that African Americans often struggled to achieve in the US. This was particularly true during the abolition of slavery period to the Civil Rights outlawing segregation in all forms.
It will not be wrong to say that the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities is still as great as it was since their inception.
The cannabis plant is not just confined to marijuana which is rich in THC chemical compound that gives you the psychoactive “high” feelings. There is another breed of this plant which is known as hemp. There are numerous varieties of chemical compounds present in the cannabis plant most of which are still undiscovered. However, the chemical compound CBD is proved to be beneficial in many aspects in recent years. Hemp is rich in CBD and contains less than 0.3% THC. CBD does not give your brain the psychoactive rush at all. And so, this area, grabs researchers’ attention the most and has also opened booming opportunities for using hemp in various products such as makeup, food supplements and even medicine.
Hemp in Makeup.
Our prime object of discussion today is using hemp in makeup products. Yes, it has been legalized to make industrialized use of cannabis plants in the hemp form in the majority of states. Its use in cosmetics has lesser restrictions in most countries than that of restriction on hemp or CBD infused products in foods or supplements or medicines.
Not only has the use of hemp in cosmetics become legalized but it has also become fan-favorite of many consumers making the emergence of hemp-line cosmetic industries more widespread by the day. Popular brands such as NYX and Body Shop has launched hemp-infused beauty products and is continuing to expand in doing so.
The reason for hemp cosmetics is becoming so popular is because of its evident benefits. It has been clinically proved for hemp to be rich in vitamins A and C and E. The hemp seed oils are also enriched balanced and high essential fatty acid oils that are soothing to the skin with skin rejuvenating properties. That is why this particular extract is increasingly being used in lotions, body washes, lip balms, shampoos, conditioners and even in massage oils. The oil also contains the rare gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which can be used in sunscreen for its effective UV protection properties. It is also rich in amino acid and multiple antioxidant components. As a result, hemp-based products work excellently for people with sensitive skin. It also acts as an effective skin-soothing component against burns, itches, rashes or allergies.
Hemp seed oils have also become popular for being used in makeup products such as lipstick, mascara, highlighters, etc. it has grabbed considerable consumer attention firstly because of its newness and secondly because of the benefits imposed by it on the skin making you look both pretty and taking care of your skin at the same time.
It is however a common misconception held by many on the ethics regarding usage of cannabis-infused makeup and beauty products. But the more scientific research is made on this, the more logics are being made against such ethical misconceptions. Hence, these products are being made and used increasingly in the market.
Top ten beauty lines to use hemp in beauty products.
Congress is many countries that have passed a bill on the legalization of industrial hemp production that is high in CBD and has significantly low THC content. At the same time, the restriction on hemp-infused products is more lenient when it comes to cosmetics. And so, within the US alone there has been the establishment of companies such as Dr. Bronner’s, Hippie Butter, Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, CannaSkin, etc. the aforementioned companies manufacture products that are sole of the cannabis-line including makeup products as well as skincare ones. They are becoming signature products with time because of clinically proved benefits that have also been ensured by consumers.
Other existing companies such as L’oreal, Body Shop, Lush and NYX also introduced cannabis-infused products.
Lush introduced an organic hair treatment formula infused with hemp oil. Maison Margiela made a unique toilette that has the essence of cannabis in it. Milk Makeup brought a revolutionary Kush High Volume Mascara that is derived from hemp seed oil which is reputed to boost your eyelashes and also improve the growth of your lashes while ensuring you have the perfect fresh eye look. This product has become so popular that many would use this new product over their regularly used ones. Body Shop has brought about its best-selling hand cream with antibacterial properties because of the hemp oil essence in it. This product is sold every nine seconds around the globe. Body Shop also launched other hemp-infused products such as essential oils, masks, face cream, etc. Popular beauty lines such as NYX launched separate hemp-infused product lines which consist of a face primer, lip balm, etc. the hemp-infused roll-on highlighter by Kaja has also become a popular product.
Due to legalization issues, such products are not widely available everywhere. However, these products have gained significant popularity in the states in which their use is legalized. The fact that such products are available in Sephora pretty much explains its validation. Even though medical use and benefits of CBD are still in question because of its possible side effects, such factors are out of the question when it comes to beauty products.
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