Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were originally founded to provide the educational opportunities that other post-secondary schools had denied to black Americans. Today these schools face new challenges, and how they respond is shaped in large part by the men and women at the helm.

Ten HBCU presidents speak out in this volume, addressing the fundamental issues confronting minority higher education. They discuss the historical role of black colleges; the current mission of HBCUs; and the effects of diversity programs, minority recruiting goals and globalization. Other topics include the impact of technology on college classrooms and the priorities and challenges in fundraising and development. Each chapter is devoted to the comments of one of the ten educators, and each includes a brief professional biography. An appendix includes profiles of historically black institutions.