The dialogue began after a single tweet.

“Idk who needs to hear this but Roxbury Community College is a HBCU,” she declared.

“One of my high school students is attending, so we’re applying for HBCU scholarships for 2 year programs  She qualifies,” she persisted.

Idk who needs to hear this but Roxbury Community College is a HBCU 👀

One of my high school students is attending, so we’re applying for HBCU scholarships for 2 year programs 🤷🏾‍♀️ She qualifies.

— Adebukola Ajao (@adebukoladotcom) January 23, 2022

Ajoa went on to further explain that to a certain extent, RCC can be compared to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Regardless of the fact that it is not explicitly mentioned in their mission statement, that is precisely who they are targeting. 

At this time, there are no historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs) in the New England area.  So how would a student at Roxbury Community College use a scholarship intended for an HBCU?  

Ajoa was able to provide assistance to a high school student in acquiring an HBCU-specific grant for RCC thanks to a federal program that has relatively low visibility.

Her tweet went viral for a reason: it revealed that RCC is, in fact, a Predominantly Black Institution, and there are indeed some scholarships, that are open to PBIs.

That explains a lot.  As of 2021, the U.S. Department of Education recognized RCC as a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI), even though it is not technically an HBCU. This means that they benefit from funding formulas designed to improve the academic outcomes of Black students.

Roughly 80% of their student body consists of minority students.

According to RCC Interim President Jackie Jenkins-Scott, who spoke to Kincade about the college’s diversity, “sixty-percent of our students are Black students and it’s really wonderful walking through the campus to see the diversity here,” she said.

When questioned about the sentiments of the students regarding the designation, President Haqikah Greaves told WBZ that it is a phenomenal feeling and a student recently expressed how much she loves studying at RCC because of the family and community vibes.

Throughout the next five years, RCC will receive $250,000 annually from the Department of Education thanks to their PBI status. They intend to use the money to create a hub for student innovation and entrepreneurship.

“When our Black community is thriving, the rest of the city will thrive,” Jenkins-Scott jubilantly declared.

The president of RCC expressed satisfaction with the institution’s ability to represent the rich diversity of the Boston area and the neighborhood it serves. Every initiative is made to improve the educational experience for the college’s students.

Although they are not an officially designated Historically Black College or University, in the strictest sense, they are really embracing the ways in which they are similar to HBCUs. In fact, for their 50th anniversary in 2023, an HBCU-style homecoming is in the works.