The South and Northeast are home to a significant number of HBCUs. Still, Ohio houses Wilberforce, an HBCU that was erected in 1856 and 1951. The midwestern university offers teacher training and classical education. Once one university, the second school broke off and became its own official school in 1965. Both are still standing thanks to the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church and the Thurgood Marshall Fund. Find out more about the HBCU in Ohio.
The First HBCU In Ohio: Wilberforce University
Founded by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal churches, Wilberforce University opened its doors in 1856. It is the oldest private HBCU in the United Stated that remains under the direction of African Americans. Named after William Wilberforce, a British abolitionist, the university carries an esteem of freedom and opportunity. Programs in teacher training and classical education are afforded to Black students at a tuition of less than $20,000 per year. The Wilberforce, Ohio-based university participates in the United Negro College Fund and has an enrolled student population of 83.7% Black or African American, 2.9% two or more races, and 1.68% white students.
Formerly of WU: Central State University
Formerly a part of Wilberforce University, Central State University was first established as a two-year university that offered teacher training. The university became its own in 1951 before becoming a formal university less than 15 years later. CSU is part of the Thurgood Marshall Fund like its predecessor and is Ohio’s only public historically Black college or university. Other common programs offered by CSU are business, criminal justice, psychology and journalism. The annual tuition is less than $15,000, and grants are available to those enrolled. The student body consists of 33.3% Black or African American, 25.9% White, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino, 4.62% two or more races, 2.34% Asian, and 0.534% American Indian or Alaska Native.
Wilberforce and Central State University Serve Black Communities Throughout Ohio
The overall percentage of Black locals in Ohio is less than 13%, and still over 80% of students at both universities are Black or African American. Close to 10 of Ohio’s cities have a Black population of over 50%. Data shows that the need for HBCUs remains in Ohio and throughout the United States as Black colleges are providing higher education opportunities that not all predominantly white institutions (PWIs) are replicating. The impact of the service shows. Central State University was named one of the Top 15 Hidden Gem HBCUs in the country. In both cases, serving Black communities in areas where there is underrepresentation is one of the many reasons why HBCUs are needed.
Ashley Nash is a SEO Writer at Blavity. A lover of storytelling, she started off as a freelance writer covering local news for newspapers throughout Los Angeles. She then went on to pursue her masters in journalism from the USC Annenberg School. During the summer of her first year, she interned at Cape Community Newspapers in South Africa where she covered breaking news, art and culture. She returned home, graduated and found herself wanting to travel more, leading her to take on a role in the Bay Area. There, she worked in tech and marketing while continuing to freelance as a writer and photographer covering social justice. She desired a full-time role that would allow her to continue exploring her interests in social justice, identity and beauty while pursuing other avenues of content production.
A stint in copywriting, back home in Los Angeles, only strengthened her desire to produce stories both written and visual. So, she pursued and accepted the opportunity to work as a Story Hunter with Vox Media, where she produced and directed short videos for B2C brands. When the pandemic hit and companies loosened their restrictions around schedule and location, Ashley saw this as another chance to travel. She decided to move to the most coveted of her desired destinations: New York City. The writer-creative and apparent traveler continued to story hunt, producing and directing videos for Okta, Victoria’s Secret and Zoom. She also continued to freelance as a writer and photographer adding makeup artist and model to her budding repertoire.
Her 11-year span of work has appeared in Blavity, Ebony, AFROPUNK, CRWN Magazine, Madame Noire, Carefree, Teen Vogue, Italian Vogue, HuffPost, Access Hollywood and Wear Your Voice Magazine. She now lives in Los Angeles with her fiance’, daughter and family. Ashley is happy to return to the editorial space, viewing it as a homecoming. When she isn’t mothering or spending time with family, Ashley is helping people write, recording podcast episodes, editing her website, TikToking, thrift-shopping, enjoying cute cafes and eateries. Her website is itsashnash.com and her handle on all socials is @itsashnash.
I adhere to the highest benchmarks for ethical integrity and accuracy in journalism as outlined in The AfroTech editorial policy.
