Rural Black Students' HBCU Access and Navigation in Alabama's Black Belt

• In Event: Improving Rural Students’ College Persistence: Using Cultural Assets and Innovative Programming for College Completion

Abstract

Purpose
This study examines how rural Black students access and navigate Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), addressing gaps in understanding the intersection of rural identity, racial identity, and institutional choice. It explores the relationships between rural Black communities, local HBCUs, and place-based factors that influence access, enrollment, and persistence. The study documents institutional strategies HBCUs employ to recruit, support, retain, and graduate rural Black students.
Framework
Guided by critical participatory action research (Kemmis et al., 2014) and community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), the study recognizes the assets, knowledge systems, and community and cultural strengths students bring to higher education. These frameworks acknowledge structural barriers and historical inequities that limit opportunity. Drawing from rural education literature, the study emphasizes place-based identity and examines how students navigate intersections of place, race, and institutional culture within HBCUs.
Methods
Grounded in critical participatory action research and qualitative case study design, students will contribute to all phases of the study. Data collection includes individual interviews and focus groups with students about college access decisions, family and community influences, institutional experiences, and persistence strategies. Student narratives are triangulated with institutional data disaggregated for rural Black students.
Data Sources
Primary data sources include interviews with approximately 80 rural Black students, from at least four HBCU campuses. Focus groups provide insights about institutional programming, support services, cultural climate, and community connections. Institutional data includes retention rates, graduation rates, academic performance indicators, and demographic information, enabling analysis of institutional effectiveness and identification of promising practices.
Results
Three findings comprise this study.
Competing College-going Attitudes - Students recognize competing college-going attitudes within their K-12 schools, communities, and families. One participant stated, “There's a lot of industry-like car plants and things that surround us here...they do put a lot of weight on going to college, but I feel like a lot of people, they feel like going to a factory...that's usually their option that they go to.”
Understanding Scale – Students can struggle with the transition from high school to college. A participant stated, “My first three weeks of school— I hated it… I came from a high school with maybe 300-400 students in all and now I'm put into a space to where 300 is how many people that's in the café.” This is significant considering HBCUs boast relatively smaller enrollments compared to institutional peers.
College Access Landscape - Students’ desire a more robust college access landscape that better prepares them for postsecondary education. Lack of exposure to college and career preparation can affect subsequent outcomes. These findings emphasize rural Black students’ socialization into and throughout their HBCU environments.
Significance
This study offers the first systematic examination of rural Black students' HBCU experiences using methodologies that center student voices and community knowledge. It advances understanding of how place-based and racial identity within historically Black institutional contexts shape access and persistence. Findings can inform HBCU leaders, state policymakers, and rural community organizations in strengthening educational pathways and economic development opportunities for rural Black communities.

Author

• Travis C. Smith, Alabama State University