Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created for African Americans to pursue higher education without discrimination because of their race. There are over 100 in the United States. The first HBCU was Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, established in 1837, but they did not grant degrees until 1914. Lincoln University is the oldest degree-granting HBCU.
James Weldon Johnson was a graduate of Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) and wrote the words to “Lift Every Voice and Sing” which is referred to as the “The Black National Anthem.” Other notable HBCU Alumni include: Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, John Lewis, Katherine Johnson, Alice Walker, Lonnie Johnson, Chadwick Boseman, Althea Gibson, Langston Hughes, Janice Bryant Howroyd, John W. Thompson, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ruth E. Carter.
