1954:  Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka

·      The decision of Brown v. Board of Education helped rid the legal basis for racial segregation in higher education and initiated reform throughout the United States (Brown Foundation, 2008).

1965:  Higher Education Act allows the federal government to provide funding aid for HBCUS

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1996: Spelman College is ranked as the leading liberal arts college in the south.  This is the first time an HBCU places first in a National survey of colleges (The HBCU Network, 2008).

1997:  FAMU is selected by Time Magazine as their first ever “College of the Year” (The HBCU Network, 2008).