This book is organized into nine chapters. First the authors provide a historical overview of historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs), examining their founding as well as the role of African Americans, missionaries, and industrial philanthropists in their development. They also look at how these institutions have changed over time, given the many developments in the United States over the course of their existence. The second chapter delves deeply into the controversial topic of desegregation, offering various perspectives on the issue and showing how the courts have treated HBCUs in the post-"Brown" era. The third chapter examines issues pertaining to students, the area about which the most research has been completed. The authors explore college choice, retention, and graduation rates as well as issues of gender and student engagement. The fourth chapter focuses on presidential leadership over time. Although this topic is vitally important, it has not been adequately covered by scholars researching HBCUs. In many ways connected to the subject of presidential leadership, the fifth chapter focuses on faculty and governance issues. It looks at the limited research on the subject and also considers whether the specific context of HBCUs makes a difference in the role of shared governance. The sixth chapter highlights fundraising issues at HBCUs, giving attention to a vitally important area that needs additional consideration from scholars. It explores the history and current status of fundraising at HBCUs, alumni giving practices, and gaps in the literature. The next chapter looks at the role of federal and state policy as it pertains to HBCUs, examining the impact of various legislation and practices. The eighth chapter investigates issues pertaining to the curriculum, exploring changes in the foci of curriculum and their impact on students. And the final chapter offers some concluding thoughts as well as future areas of exploration for researchers. An appendix lists HBCUs in the United States today. (Contains 3 exhibits, 3 figures, and name and subject indexes.)