There is no shortage of opinions on the future of Black colleges. However, what many people don’t realize is that these schools have long played an important role in education, not just in terms of football but also in science and the arts. As far back as the 1800s, African Americans have been fighting for equal opportunities in education and sports, and it’s still going on today. We’ll explore some of these issues more deeply below!
History of Black Colleges
The history of black college football begins in 1869, when Princeton University and Rutgers University played the first official game of American football. The sport quickly grew in popularity, with other colleges and universities joining the fray. By the 1890s, there were many teams across the country that fielded both white and black players on their rosters–but it wasn’t until 1892 that African Americans began to organize their own squads at historically black colleges (HBCUs).
In that year alone there were five different schools founded specifically for educating African Americans: Meharry Medical College in Nashville; Tillotson College in Austin; Virginia Union University in Richmond; Wilberforce University near Xenia Ohio; Lincoln University Pennsylvania.
Future of Black Colleges
The future of black colleges football is bright. The NCAA is planning on launching a playoff system in 2014, which will include 64 teams from across the country. A new era of college football is beginning, and it’s one that will give players from historically black colleges an equal shot at competing for glory on the national stage with their counterparts at other universities.
Black colleges have a rich history in the sport–and have been responsible for producing some of college football’s greatest players, such as Walter Payton (Jackson State), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State) and Archie Manning (Mississippi). In 1982, HBCUs formed an official conference called USA South Athletic Conference; today there are over 50 members across nine states: Alabama; Arkansas; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Virginia.
Black colleges have a rich history
Black colleges have a rich history. They were founded during the Jim Crow era to provide opportunities for African Americans that were otherwise unavailable to them at the time. The first black college was Cheyney University in Pennsylvania (then called Cheyney Manual Labor Institute), which opened its doors in 1837 and later became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
In addition to providing education for black students, these institutions were also instrumental in helping train young men and women who would go on to become leaders in their communities throughout America’s history–from Booker T. Washington who founded Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) after being inspired by his time spent at Hampton Institute; W.E B Du Bois who taught at Atlanta University; Mary McLeod Bethune who served as president of Bethune-Cookman College; Thurgood Marshall who graduated from Lincoln University then went on become one of the most influential lawyers ever; Martin Luther King Jr., another Lincoln graduate…
First official conference formed in 1982.
The first official conference was formed in 1982 to help black colleges compete against the bigger schools. The conference had its first game that same year, with Grambling State defeating Alabama A&T 28-21. As of 2019, there are 21 members of this organization that play each other every year during football season as well as other sports such as basketball and baseball.
Breeding ground for some of best players
If you’re not familiar with black colleges football, it’s a breeding ground for some of the best players in college football history. Many of them go on to play professionally and make millions.
Many people don’t know that some of the best NFL players were once stars at black colleges. The list includes legends such as Walter Payton (Jackson State), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Jim Brown (Saginaw Vocational High School) and Emmitt Smith (Florida A&M). And let’s not forget Michael Strahan who played his college ball at Texas Southern University before going on to become one of only two defensive ends in NFL history with 100+ sacks!
Long played an important role in education
Black colleges have long played an important role in education. The first official conference was formed in 1982, but black colleges have been around since before the Civil War. In fact, they were originally established by white people as places where slaves could be educated and taught how to read and write–a practice that lasted until after the end of slavery when many African Americans sought higher education at these schools instead of going through traditional channels.
Black colleges serve as breeding grounds for some of college football’s best players ever: Walter Payton (Jackson State), Joe Willie Namath (Alabama), Herschel Walker (Georgia) and Deion Sanders (Florida State).
Conclusion
The history of black colleges and their role in American society is long and storied. They have helped to shape the world we live in today, and they will continue to do so as long as they exist.
