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Howard University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
2400 6th St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20059
Phone
(202) 806-6100
Email address
admission@howard.edu
School Information
"Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. To date, Howard has awarded more than 120,000 degrees in the arts, the sciences, and the humanities. The historic main campus sits on a hilltop in Northwest Washington blocks from the storied U Street and Howard Theatre. We are two miles from the U.S. Capitol where many students intern, and scores of alumni shape national and foreign policy." (Source: https://www2.howard.edu/about/about-howard)
General Information
Howard University has taken steps to highlight racial justice, by hosting a conference, "From Protest to Policy: the Pursuit of Racial Justice". No changes to university operations have been announced. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • On June 29, 2023, Howard University issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which reads in part as follows: "Today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn affirmative action is deeply concerning. As a University dedicated to racial equity and justice, and whose faculty, students and storied alumni have advocated on the front lines to achieve equitable access for people of color, we understand the incredible challenge this decision will create for far too many individuals and communities. The decision will not only have a devastating impact on the diversity of colleges and universities across the country, but will also decrease access to higher education for students of color everywhere. We will continue to partner with those institutions and organizations that understand the critical role affirmative action has played in ensuring equitable access to education for students of color and will closely monitor how today's decision will impact higher education trends in the short and long term."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • The Strategic Diversity Equity and Inclusion Executive Certificate Program at the Howard University School of Business "prepares corporate and organizational leaders to lead, inspire and manage high-impact DEI and cultural transformation initiatives."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • The Department of Human Development & PsychoEducational Studies at Howard's School of Education requires first year students to take a three credit course called "Cultural Diversity in Psych Practice."
  • The undergraduate program in Health Management at Howard's College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences includes "Cultural Competence/Diversity" as part of its "program concentration areas."
Program and Research Funding
  • On September 21, 2020 Howard news announced that The Howard University Department of Economics would "host the American Economic Association Summer Training and Scholarship Program for the next five years in support of increasing the pipeline of underrepresented minority economists." Amazon corporation would "sponsor the first year of the program at Howard University with a $135,000 monetary gift to help increase the pipeline of diverse economists and commit to their success."
  • On April 10, 2023, Howard news announced the "selection of the inaugural class of Foreign Agricultural Service Diversity Fellows." The program was launched in August 2022 to "create a path for outstanding students, particularly those from minority groups historically underrepresented at USDA, to pursue careers in the U.S. foreign service."
Resources
  • The University will host a conference called “From Protest to Policy: The Pursuit of Racial Justice”.
  • The digital library at Howard links to a February 10, 1994 article by J. Clay Smith Jr. titled "Critical Race Theory/Critical Race Practice" which is described as follows: "These remarks were presented before the Critical Race Theory Panel during the 150th Anniversary celebration of the Black Lawyer in America held at the George Washington University School of Law."
  • On March 4, 2022, Howard News published an article titled "U.S. Congressman Meeks Affirms Howard's Legacy in Charter Day Address" which reported that Meeks, a Howard law alumnus, "called on Howard University students to speak truth to power and confront distortions on a range of high-profile political and civic topics, including critical race theory."
  • Howard profiles School of Education Adjunct Faculty member Denisha Jones, PhD who "served on the steering committee for the national Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action" and co-edited her first book titled " Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice" which was published in December 2020 by Haymarket Books. Jones also published an article titled "Black Lives Matter at School: Using the 13 Guiding Principles as Critical Race Pedagogies for Black Citizenship Education."
  • Howard's College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Brandon Hogan teaches for the Department of Philosophy and is "currently thinking about philosophical arguments for slavery reparations." Hogan's recently (2019-2023) published articles focus on the topics of Critical Race Theory and restorative justice.
  • Kathryn Wiley, PhD is a Faculty member in the School of Education at Howard and is "...passionate about supporting education leaders, advocates, organizers, and lawmakers in equity-oriented change for racial and social justice in schools and districts." Wiley's recent 2021 publications include "Sent out or sent home: Understanding racial disparities across suspension types from Critical Race Theory and Quantcrit perspectives" and "A Tale of Two Logics: Racial Disparities and School Discipline in a Mostly-White Middle School."
  • Christine McWhorter PhD, Assistant Professor of Broadcast Journalism at Howard University, is an "award-winning professor, scholar, researcher, educator, and public speaker specializing in Critical Race Media Literacy, Media Effects, and News Literacy."
  • On October 11, 2019 the School of Business at Howard University hosted an event titled "The Case for Reparations" which was moderated by former DNC (Democratic National Committee) Interim Chairperson and political strategist Donna Brazile.
  • On April 17, 2023, the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life published an article titled "Where’s the DEI at the HBCUs?" which states that "The lack of diversity policies at Historically Black Colleges and Universities makes clear that the concept means something other than its public definition." According to the article, Howard University (the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris) "has no central administrator dedicated to DEI, and its student affairs programming aims to help the disabled and LGBTQ students."
Last updated March 30th, 2024
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