Historically black institutions arose in America at a time when most African-Americans were enslaved. The Institute for Colored Youth, which eventually became Cheney University, was founded by the Quaker theologian Richard Humphreys in 1837 and is considered by many to be the first American institution started exclusively to educate free African-Americans. By the time of the Civil War and Reconstruction in the 1860s and 1870s, the number of HBCUs grew to 30 and their student populations had grown several fold from a few hundred to more than 10,000.
HBCUs continued to grow in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, this growth was largely due to the practice of segregation that was in place in many states, particularly in the South. Spelman College, Tuskegee University, Morehouse College, Howard University, Hampton University and others greatly expanded their student populations and their academic offerings. The legislation of Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 made segregation illegal in all schools in America. This actually increased the enrollment at HBCUs across the nation as black students chose these institutions in droves.
In the post-Civil Rights era with the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1965, HBCUs saw an explosion in enrollment of African-American students, as did many predominantly white institutions across the country. The passage of the Higher Education Act in that same year also provided money to HBCUs which allowed them to expand and provided more services to their students. Also, through a series of executive orders from every president from Carter to Obama, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities has benefited several institutions by establishing a Presidential Advisory Board on HBCUs.
In the 21st century, HBCUs are still thriving and educating tens of thousands of students each year, though some are having trouble with finances and dwindling student populations. Some HBCUs, such as West Virginia State University, even have majority white student bodies due to changing demographics in some areas. Today, there are 105 HBCUs. In the future, HBCUs will likely continue the trend of becoming more racially diverse.