This is a word, a podcast from Slate. I'm your host, Jason Johnson.

In summer, the time when many high school graduates are preparing to make the big leap to

college or university, for the overwhelming majority of black students that means going

to a predominantly white institution or P.W.I. But there are signs that more young African-American

scholars are choosing to continue their studies at historically black colleges and universities.

Why more elite black students are choosing HBCUs coming up on a word with me, Jason Johnson.

Stay with us.

Welcome to a word, a podcast about race, in politics, and everything else.

I'm your host, Jason Johnson. For more than a century, historically black colleges and

universities were essentially the only option for most African-Americans who wanted to pursue

a higher education. Through the civil rights era, black students faced violence for trying

to integrate campuses in the South. And even institutions across the country that weren't

openly segregated were frequently hostile or just plain old welcoming.

Over the course of decades, a lot changed, and eventually more than 90% of black college

students were in the majority white institutions by the late 90s, with many of the top students

barely giving HBCUs a second look. But there are indications that that could be changing.

A recent article in the New York Times followed the stories of several highly accomplished

black students, many with hefty scholarship offers from prestigious white schools who

decided the HBCUs were their best option. For more about why we're joined by Michelle

Purdy, she's the author of Transforming the Elite, Black Students, and the desegregation

of private school. She's also an associate professor of education at Washington University

in St. Louis, professor Michelle Purdy. Welcome to a word.

...