Culturally Relevant Practice: Implementation among Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Since 1837, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have secured a reputation for providing students, especially Black students, with a holistic college experience. An experience that embraces culture and leads to self-discovery, life-long personal and professional relationships, and most importantly, career opportunities. Today, HBCUs represent 3% of colleges and universities, educate almost 10% of all Black college students and produce 17% of Black bachelor's degrees. However, HBCUs and organizations like UNCF, created to serve such institutions and Black students more broadly, are often overlooked as designers or producers of effective student success programming for Black students. This report answers two key questions: (1) Why is UNCF especially equipped to support HBCUs and institutions focused on increasing Black student success? (2) Why is UNCF an expert in equity? Additionally, this publication makes the case for uplifting organizational research and practices using principles of Black feminist thought (Collins, 1991) and a practical framework for application offered in the concept of culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995).