The Weekend Edition of Race Inquiry Digest features the top stories from the two previous Digests published during the week. Click here for earlier Digests.
Editor’s Note: HBCUs Under Pressure: Navigating Political Threats. Graves Hall Morehouse College
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long served as pillars of opportunity and advancement for African American students. Founded in response to exclusion from predominantly white institutions, HBCUs have, over generations, produced scholars, scientists, and civic leaders who have shaped American life. Today, however, these institutions face intensifying political threats under the Trump administration, ranging from targeted funding cuts and anti-DEI policies to legal allegations of discrimination that strike at the heart of their mission.
Among the most controversial developments is the growing narrative that HBCUs discriminate against white students and thereby violate federal civil rights laws. Although HBCUs are legally required to admit students regardless of race — and many actively enroll white, Hispanic, and international students — right-wing legal groups have begun to frame certain scholarships and programs as exclusionary. These efforts mirror broader attacks on affirmative action and DEI initiatives and aim to use Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as a weapon against institutions originally created to remedy racial exclusion.
This legal framing is particularly dangerous because it positions HBCUs — institutions born from racial segregation — as the perpetrators of racial bias. If this narrative gains traction, it could serve as a pretext for stripping federal funding, rescinding grants, or challenging accreditation. Indeed, the Trump administration’s rollback of DEI programs has already disrupted funding streams vital to HBCUs, including STEM research, need-based aid, and minority health initiatives. In several high-profile cases, grant disbursements have been paused or canceled under the justification of rooting out “reverse discrimination.”
Compounding this threat is the potential politicization of accreditation. Some policymakers have proposed reforms to accreditation standards that prioritize “ideological neutrality” — a euphemism that could be used to challenge race-conscious curricula, cultural programming, or even institutional missions. If accreditors begin penalizing schools for maintaining identity-based support systems, HBCUs could be forced to dilute or abandon the very characteristics that define them.
Finally, allegations of discrimination and threats to accreditation may present real legal and political risks, but with vigilance, advocacy, and strategic planning, HBCUs can defend both their legacy and their future. “Forewarned is Forearmed.”
The Week’s Top Stories
Political / Social
The Unreal Spectacle of Trump’s Authoritarianism. By Jamelle Bouie / NYT Read more
In Trump’s Federal Work Force Cuts, Black Women Are Among the Hardest Hit. Erica L. Green / NYT Read more
Chicago mayor says city will stand up to Trump’s ‘tyranny.’ By Maureen Groppe / USA Today Read more
Sharpton leads march against Trump policies and for DEI. By John Bacon / USA Today Read more
Education
The inspiration for New Orleans’ St. Mary’s Academy. By Bill Croxton / CBS News Read more
The Coming Collapse of Faculty Diversity.
Pentagon Is Reinstalling Portrait of Confederate General at West Point Library. By Greg Jaffe / NYT Read more
World
Thanks to Trump, China claims mantle of the post-World War II order. By Ishaan Tharoor / Wash Post Read more
Gaza postwar plan envisions ‘voluntary’ relocation of entire population. By Karen DeYoung and Cate Brown / Wash Post Read more
Kari Lake announces 532 positions nixed at Voice of America, parent company. By Sarah Polus / The Hill Read more
Ethics / Morality / Religion
Pope demands end to the ‘pandemic of arms’ as he prays for victims of Minnesota school shooting. By Nicole Winfield / RNS Read more
DHS is using the Bible to promote ICE, claiming ‘righteous’ fight against immigrants. By Fiona Andre’ / RNS Read more
Historical / Cultural
Slavery Was Not Just Forced Labor but Sexual Violence Too. By Channing Gerard Joseph / The Nation Read more
Labor Day Special Featuring Howard Zinn & Voices of a People’s History of the United States. By Amy Goodman / Democracy Now Read more and listen here
What’s Really in the Blacksonian. It’s Not How Trump Framed It. Trump Attacks Blacksonian Museum. The Exhibits Tell Another Story. By Brandon Tensley / Capital B Read more
‘Katrina babies’ describe their ongoing recovery 20 years after deadly storm. By Katie Kindelan / ABC News Read more
Sports
Active Clubs are white supremacy’s new, dangerous frontier. By Art Jipson / The Conversation Read more
Why does Naomi Osaka play for Japan? Explaining tennis star’s relinquished USA dual citizenship. By Daniel Chavkin / Sporting News Read more
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