City officials advocate for the growth of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) beyond the Southern region, emphasizing its essentiality given the current perceived threat to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

City officials advocate for the growth of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) beyond the Southern region, emphasizing its essentiality given the current perceived threat to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

In a significant shift, major cities like Boston and San Francisco are embarking on an ambitious project to establish satellite campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), aiming to increase access for Black students and foster economic and educational opportunities in these communities.

The proposal comes at a time when the Trump administration has proposed a 2022 fiscal year budget that would cut $64 million in funding for Howard University, the nation's only federally chartered HBCU. Advocates for HBCUs argue these proposals are critical in the face of the Trump administration's attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell proposed an order in June 2025 to bring an HBCU satellite campus to Boston, noting the city's lack of any local HBCU despite its reputation as a college town. In San Francisco, city officials, including representatives of the mayor, are engaged in discussions about negotiating with HBCUs to set up satellite campuses there, seeing the potential for such campuses to stimulate the local economy and innovation culture.

Potential benefits of bringing HBCU satellite campuses to these cities include expanding access for Black students who currently need to travel hundreds of miles to attend an HBCU, serving as pipelines to build a diverse workforce in sectors such as tech, healthcare, education, and government, stimulating local economies, and providing opportunities for first-generation, low-income Black students.

However, the process of setting up satellite campuses is complex and may take years to complete. Challenges include the need for accreditation, city approvals, forming credit transfer partnerships, and ensuring strong local community engagement to meet student needs. Negotiations with universities and aligning satellite campus offerings with local demand and workforce needs are also crucial.

Keith Lezama, CEO and founder of Building Bridges Education, supports the expansion of Black colleges. HBCUs were first established in the mid to late 1800s, primarily to provide a college education to Black people when legal segregation in the South prevented them from attending existing colleges and schools in the North. HBCUs have higher retention and graduation rates among Black students, according to the United Negro College Fund.

In San Francisco, the Black 2 San Francisco initiative seeks to create a satellite campus partnership with several HBCUs, including a physical location in San Francisco, and a full suite of academic and professional programming. Former Mayor London Breed stated that an HBCU campus in San Francisco would boost the city's downtown and economy.

Huston-Tillotson University plans to launch an off-campus instructional site in San Diego with a business administration program in spring 2026. California has the largest out-of-state student enrollment at Huston-Tillotson University. Brandon Graham, founder and CEO of Our HBCUs Matter Foundation, believes it will be challenging for satellite campuses to replicate the connections and experiences students receive on an HBCU's main campus, but sees potential for creative solutions.

Kei'Yanii Dawson, a junior at a majority-White private high school in San Francisco, dreams of attending a historically Black college. The growth of HBCUs into more communities outside the South reflects a growing national movement aimed at diversifying economic growth and providing localized educational opportunities.

References: 1. Boston Globe 2. San Francisco Chronicle 3. The Washington Post 4. The New York Times 5. The Thurgood Marshall College Fund 6. United Negro College Fund 7. Building Bridges Education 8. Our HBCUs Matter Foundation 9. Black 2 San Francisco 10. US District Court for the District of Columbia

1. The expansion of HBCU satellite campuses in major cities like Boston and San Francisco is a response to the potential cuts in federal funding for HBCUs, as proposed by the Trump administration, and highlights the importance of education-and-self-development in the face of political attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
2. The establishment of HBCU satellite campuses in cities like San Francisco and Boston is not only a move towards politics, but also a general-news issue, as it aims to stimulate local economies, provide educational opportunities for Black students, and build a diverse workforce in various sectors.

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