Excerpt from the Essay

“Redlining may have started as a housing policy, but it metastasized into a broader architecture of exclusion. And nowhere is that clearer than in our public schools. Until we confront this legacy directly—until we fund all schools equitably, redraw districts fairly, and invest in communities previously redlined—we will continue to reproduce the very disparities we claim to abhor.”

If history has taught us anything, it is that relying on the same system that created these inequities has historically led to disappointment. Instead, communities are reclaiming education on their own terms. The future of independent Black education depends on expanding and sustaining the movements that are already in motion.

The pursuit of educational equality has been an unyielding fight for the African American community—a battle for more than textbooks and desks, but for a promise that education can be a great equalizer.

The story of HBCUs is ongoing. These institutions continue to honor their roots while expanding their influence, nurturing generations who are grounded in history yet unafraid to push boundaries.