Historically Black Colleges and Universities, now known as HBCUs, are an integral part of the educational experience for countless Black Americans in modern day America. Though the Freedmen’s Bureau had its faults, its role in education and the establishment of historically black colleges are enduring legacies. 

The work of the Freedmen’s Bureau in education was visible through the Morrill Acts.

• The Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 set aside federal lands to create colleges to benefit the agricultural and mechanical arts.
• The Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1890 required states to give federal land grants towards the creation of at least one institution that admitted Black students.

Students will select and independently research a HBCU. They will then write up a summary of the school’s history that could be used to recruit new students: 

• Howard University in Washington, D.C.
• Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, 
• Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia 
• (Optional) Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia – though this school’s creation does not stem from the Freedman’s Bureau, it was and remains a HBCU for women, and may be of interest for students to select

The summary should include:

• Year of establishment and factors/organizations contributing to it (such as Freedman’s Bureau, Morrill Act, etc.)
• Predominant population served
• Size of first and current classes
• Prominent graduates.