Historically black colleges and universities and the black business elite

Are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) a route into the '' black business elite,'' defined as those blacks who have been nationally recognized as successful entrepreneurs? To address this question, the present study analyzes data from authoritative encyclopedic sources on the history of black entrepreneurship in America. The findings suggest that HBCUs have a venerable tradition of contributing to the membership of the business elite, especially in the South, and that such institutions continue to be pathways into this select group of entrepreneurs, along with prestigious historically white colleges and universities in the North. By documenting the important role of HBCUs in the creation of an upper stratum of black entrepreneurs, this study adds a new dimension to literature that shows that HBCUs have produced a leadership class that has been instrumental to the social and economic progress of blacks as a group.