It is said that crisis is the true test of a leader. The leaders who
contributed to this volume and their peers at HBCUs nationwide were
tested in unprecedented ways by the events of 2020 and 2021. The crisis
caused by COVID-19 was unique in its wide-ranging effects, its duration,
and the need for a multi-pronged and comprehensive response. This was a
test to challenge even the strongest leaders. Accustomed to challenges
and to adversity, the leaders of our nation's HBCUs stepped up,
marshalled their forces, and developed and implemented plans to mitigate
and to combat the impact of COVID-19 on their institutions and on
African American higher education.
While each president who contributed to this volume brought their own
unique perspective, skills, and experience to the crisis on their
particular campus, they confronted common challenges. Racial disparities
in the United States affect every aspect of life, and the pandemic
magnified and exacerbated those disparities. The racial disparities that
we see in our health and health care in this country are evident in the
numbers of African Americans, including college students, who contracted
the virus and who suffered significant health ramifications and even
death. At the same time, COVID-19 forced our nation online and the
racial and economic digital divide which some thought had been bridged
turned out to be wider than ever. As jobs were lost, particularly in
service industries and other key sectors, people of color, especially
Black and Brown people, took a disproportionate economic hit.
Not only did HBCU leaders have to develop and implement plans to
mitigate COVID's deadly threat to the health and safety of their
students, faculty, and staff, they also had to address the challenges
associated with trying to provide remote learning for students who
lacked computers and internet access at home; transporting students back
home who didn't have the resources to pay for transportation; and in
some cases finding housing for students who could not return home or
didn't have a home or sufficient food, among other issues.
