20 HBCU graduates that have shaped America [slideshow]

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are dedicated to empowering students and alumni with the tools to drive significant civic and cultural change. Through their intentional focus on leadership, advocacy, and excellence, HBCU graduates have made remarkable strides in political, legal, cultural, and artistic fields. These institutions foster an environment where students thrive and emerge as trailblazers. By nurturing talent and commitment, HBCUs continue to shape leaders who make profound contributions to American democracy. Click through the slideshow below to learn about twenty inspirational graduates.

Booker T. Washington

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Booker T. Washington, Hampton University (1875): Washington was also an HBCU graduate, having attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (which later became Hampton University) and Wayland Seminary (which later became Virginia Union University), and he was the founder and first president of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (which became Tuskegee University) in Alabama. [Image: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.]

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