Historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, were established in the United States before 1964 to provide undergraduate and graduate-level educational opportunities to people of African descent at a time when Black students were unwelcome at most public and private institutions. About 100 of these institutions still exist in 19 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. See the list here.
HBCU is acceptable on second reference and in headlines.
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