Racism and Racial Equity in Higher Education

The Morrill Act of 1890 provided more funding so that students of colour previously denied access to PWIs could gain a college education, and many historically Black colleges and universities were established under it.

“Because several segregationist states at the time excluded people of colour from their colleges, the Morrill Act of 1890 was enacted to provide more funding so that students of colour who were previously denied access to PWIs could have the opportunity to gain a college education.Many historically Black colleges and universities were established under the Morrill Act of 1890.”

Affirmative action was introduced to increase representation of racially marginalised groups at PWIs after institutional racism excluded people of colour, but it was often wielded as an insult against students of colour who were questioned by White peers about their access to elite institutions.

“Introduced as a concept by President Kennedy in 1961 and passed as part of the Civil Rights Act by President Johnson in 1965, the goal of affirmative action was to increase representation of racially minoritised groups in higher education by relying on more than just test scores to admit historically underrepresented students”

The founding of American higher education can be traced back to the colonial era, when higher education was developed to educate and prepare White men for the clergy and leadership in religious societies and to pass down European culture and Christian values.

“The founding of American higher education can be traced back to the colonial era.Higher education was originally developed as a way to educate and prepare White men for the clergy and to become leaders in religious societies, as well as to pass down European culture and Christian values to future generations”