Do HBCUs better benefit the holistic development of Black student-athletes?

For student-athletes, having a full class schedule, lengthy practices and unwavering attention from fans and peers can really impact the way they view the world and their place in it. Their stringent schedules can make political participation difficult in many cases.

According to a 2023 demographic database study conducted by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), only 16% of U.S. college student-athletes are Black. Their collective contributions to D1 sports teams, especially for football and basketball, have made an indelible impact on college athletics in this country.

College athletics tend to be more prominent on many predominantly white campuses, and athletes can gain stardom there that in some cases can even surpass the institution. While many HBCUs do have D1 sports teams, they aren’t typically renowned for their athletics in the same way that D1 PWIs are. Where predominantly white institutions might stress athletic prowess over academics, HBCUs tend to do the opposite, one professor said.

“HBCU student-athletes are special, but to be very clear they are still students. And at HBCUs, historically the value of athletics has never, and will never outweigh the value of holistic academic and community-engaged education,” said Raja M. Rahim, an HBCU sports historian and associate history and African American studies professor at the University of Mississippi. Rahim is an alum of North Carolina Central University.

This majorly impacts the way student-athletes are revered at their institutions, and at least one expert feels HBCUs more holistically develop their athletes.

“Their (PWI’s) athletic departments aren’t set up for holistic development. If you’re requiring me to be in facilities 12 hours a day,  take 12 hours of classes, do treatment and attend pre-scheduled meals, where do I have the time to be civically engaged?” said Johnathan Howe, a Black male athlete identity researcher and assistant professor at Temple University.

Civic engagement is something HBCUs have long stressed to their students. While the experiences of Black student athletes vary depending upon the institution they’ve attended, history makes it evident that this demographic has always been engaged with socio-political movements.

In addition to having to juggle a load of responsibilities, student athletes often have to be mindful of their public image. Their actions online or in public can really impact their athletic and academic future-especially if their behavior or speech doesn’t align with their institution’s brand. 

One of the reasons more student-athletes might not be more actively involved in politics might be optical concerns, said VCU administrator Tomika L. Ferguson. She founded the Black Athlete Sister Circle (BASC) program for Black women student-athletes at D1 Institutions.

“When you are in the minority, everything you do is amplified. So if you share your political concerns and those fans or donors don’t like that, there are repercussions,” she said. “I do not believe that a Black athlete who is at an HBCU is without a myriad of resources to explore their views even in a space where there are varying political opinions.”

Samantha White, an assistant professor of sports studies at Manhattanville College and Clark Atlanta University alumna, said institutions should be especially forthright in letting athletes know they can make their views known to the public.

“I think that it's important that they feel safe and encouraged to use that voice. That’s where institutions can step in to fully support their student athletes,” she said.