OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The 2024 regular legislative session is quickly coming to a close. Budget talks, negotiations and last-ditch attempts to pass bills are swirling throughout the state Capitol. However, a different tone has emerged from House Democrats. Representatives Jason Lowe and Regina Goodwin have called attention to the continued underfunding of Oklahoma’s only Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
HBCUs were first created in the early 19th century as a means for Black Americans to obtain higher education programs. In 1837, Pennsylvania established Cheyney University, the country’s oldest HBCU. Over the coming decades, Black colleges and universities began to pop up across the country, including in Oklahoma.
Langston University, located near Guthrie, was originally called Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University at the time of its inception in 1897. Following the passage of the second Morrill Act in 1890, states that received lang-grant funding either had to admit students of color to their universities or create separate institutions for Black students.
Oklahoma opted to create a new college specifically to serve the Black community. Now more than a century later, HBCUs still struggle to maintain adequate funding including Oklahoma’s Langston University.
Historic Colleges, Historically Underfunded
Back in 2023, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack sent letters to 16 Governors. Their motivation was to address a $12 billion disparity in funding between state HBCUs and their primarily white counterparts.
“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” said Cardona.
Oklahoma Democrats have been working to even the financial playing field between Langston and other top state colleges. Despite great interest, funding relief has yet to have been passed. “I am disappointed in the legislature’s choice to exclude appropriations for Langston University in the state’s budget,” Lowe said. “Recently, it was discovered that Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been drastically underfunded in comparison to non-HBCUs.” Examples of the disparities are often witnessed in the Oklahoma legislature.
Leaving out Langston
The day before Oklahoma House Democrats raised the red flag of concern over funding for Langston, the House passed HB 2893. Presented by John Talley (R-Stillwater), the bill would grant $80 million to Oklahoma State University for a new life science facility.
The US Department of Education reports that since 1987, Langston has been underfunded by over $400 million. “For years, at the Oklahoma State Legislature, we have asked for equity in funding for Langston University, a historically black land grant institution,” said Goodwin. “Instead of the minimum 1 to 1 federal to state dollar match, Langston University has received approximately .46 cents to every federal dollar.”
Related Stories
Senator George Young also weighed in on the persisting issue. “The fact is there has been for years concerns about the state, also failing to fund Langston University fairly and adequately,” Young said. “We are moving now to the level of calling upon the State Regents to perform the necessary audits to ascertain more accurate data as to what level the funding has fallen short.”
Uplifting Black Students
Black Americans who pursue a higher education degree might favor an HBCU over a PWI (primarily white institution) for several reasons. One is that HBCUs offer a sense of community and shared experience that may be harder to find at a PWI. For instance, HBCUs put in effort to better support their students in their first year of college. Overall, HBCU graduates have a higher experience satisfaction rate than those who attended non-HBCUs. Additionally, Black students who attend HBCUs are 33% more likely to graduate than Black students from a similar-performing PWI.
A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that PWIs can, and should, learn from an Oklahoma HBCU and others about how to better serve their minority populations. The paper proposes exposing students to role models who look like them. Boosting academic representation is also a simple way to create a greater sense of community at any institution.
Comments are closed.