Mediation fails again in case seeking to force Maryland to better fund and strengthen HBCU programs
Court-ordered mediation in a case that’s pitted supporters of historically black colleges against the state of Maryland for 13 years has ended without resolution once again.
A coalition of advocates accused the state in 2006 of fostering segregation by allowing well-funded academic programs at traditionally white institutions to undermine similar ones at four historically black institutions: Morgan State University and Coppin State University in Baltimore, Bowie State University, and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.
In the more than a decade since the coalition first filed its lawsuit — which members have called the most important higher education desegregation case in decades — attempts to settle have repeatedly failed.
The Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education wants funding to enable the state’s four HBCUs to develop unique, in-demand academic programs that would help them foster distinct identities and attract students of all races. Lawyers previously estimated it would cost several hundred million dollars to do that, along with ramping up marketing efforts and paying for more scholarships.
Read more: https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-hbcu-lawsuit-mediation-fails-20190731-g6ge3o65yzdypnscsp425esi3i-story.html