Why HBCU Community?

We are more than individual HBCUs – we are a community. When one of us succeeds, we all celebrate. When one of us competes, we all cheer (unless it's against one another) 🤣 This collection represents the unbreakable bond that connects our institutions and the shared values that make us who we are.

We at Thee shirts wanted t-shirts to celebrate HBCUs as a whole and for all HBCU alums, students, future students and fans to be able to wear the pride of all HBCUs together.

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HBCU Community Collection

The history of HBCUs

After the Civil War (1861-1865), HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) emerged to provide Black Americans the most basic of human rights— access to a full education.

Prior to the Civil War, the education of Black Americans was prohibited in most Southern states and often discouraged in Northern states resulting in only a few Black schools being in existence —Cheyney University (est. 1837), University of the District of Columbia (1851), Lincoln University (1854), and Wilberforce University (1856).

Most of our nation's HBCUs were started by philanthropists and free Blacks; Southern states at the behest of the federal government; and religious organizations such as the American Missionary Association (AMA) and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

Check out these great resources for more HBCU history:

HBCU First

5 Things You Should Know About HBCUs

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