The phrase is symbolic. It represents Columbia University, which is located on a hill overlooking Harlem in New York City.
While Hughes doesn't name Columbia directly, the symbolism is clear:
* Location: Columbia's physical location on a hill above Harlem is significant. It places the privileged, white institution in a position of dominance over the predominantly Black neighborhood.
* Class Divide: Columbia represents the world of higher education, wealth, and privilege, contrasting with the realities of Harlem, a largely impoverished Black community.
* The "Other": By referring to the "college on the hill," Hughes highlights the sense of distance and disconnect between the white academic world and the Black experience.
The phrase "the college on the hill" becomes a powerful symbol of racial and economic inequality within the context of the poem.