OOS 42-4
Ecology's roots at historically black colleges
Having educated a significant number of blacks working in STEM disciplines over the past 150 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) hold unique positions in higher education in the United States. However the history of ecology at HBCU institutions is little known, poorly understood and has been often minimized. Many ecologists have suggested that historically, HBCU institutions either did not offer or did not emphasize ecology and environmental disciplines. We examined the origin and history of ecology-related disciplines at HBCU institutions to determine how these institutions defined and dealt with the emerging disciplines of ecology and environmental science.
Results/Conclusions
We found that ecology's origins at HBCU institutions with a land grant mission (the 1890 schools) followed the model of Tuskegee Institute by emphasizing scientific agriculture and service to rural farmers, as well as being involved in the nature study movement. Other HBCU institutions more heavily involved themselves in community outreach and community improvement efforts in the early 1900's aimed at addressing environmental health issues. These dual paths have continued through institutions such as the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference and more recently, the emerging network of environmental justice research centers.
Much of the lack of recognition for HBCU efforts in ecology and environmental science resides in definitional differences as to the focus and application of ecological teaching and research efforts. We argue that HBCUs have played a critical role in areas traditionally overlooked by ecology, e.g. agriculture and human health. As ESA, and indeed individual ecologists themselves, continue to shift toward a less granular, more holistic approach to the field, incorporating studies of the impacts on and of human populations, an appreciation of the historical role HBCUs in the field will increase.