The Debt: Investigating HBCU Underfunding

'The Debt' podcast, produced by Emily Siner and Camellia Burris for Nashville Public Radio and The Tennessee Lookout, investigates the ongoing conflict surrounding state funding debts owed to public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the Southern United States.

Decades of Underfunding

State governments in the South have systematically underfunded their public HBCUs for extended periods. This issue has resulted in lawsuits, university mergers, and student protests, including hunger strikes.

The Case of Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville serves as a primary example. TSU, a land-grant university, did not receive required matching federal funds for many years, unlike the state's other land-grant institution, the University of Tennessee.

Land-grant universities were established with federal land or funds, but Southern states created Black colleges to maintain segregation while still receiving federal funding, often failing to provide the required state match.

In 2012, lawmaker Harold Love initiated research into the underfunding. Following the George Floyd protests in 2020, the state legislature agreed to conduct further research, revealing significant discrepancies.

Research revealed that Tennessee owed TSU up to $544 million since the 1950s, excluding inflation, in unfulfilled matching funds.

Lawmakers had prior knowledge of this issue; Harold Love's father, also a state lawmaker, attempted to raise the alarm in the early 1970s.

The Rita Geier Lawsuit (1968-2006)

In 1968, Rita Geier filed a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee, alleging unfair treatment and funding of TSU. This protracted legal battle spanned 38 years.

Arguments in the case included the proposal to merge the predominantly white University of Tennessee (UT) Nashville campus with TSU, as UT Nashville directly competed for funding with TSU. A judge approved this merger, incorporating UT Nashville into TSU with the intention of transferring resources and respect to TSU.

However, the merger did not resolve the underlying funding issues. TSU's buildings remained in disrepair, and faculty compensation remained low. An effort in the late 1980s to provide $22 million for asbestos removal at TSU faced opposition from some state officials.

1990 Student Protests

In 1990, TSU students, frustrated by campus conditions, organized a two-week sit-in and some went on a hunger strike. These actions brought public attention to issues like asbestos in campus buildings. The protests led the then-governor of Tennessee to advocate for increased funding for TSU's infrastructure.

Recent Developments

In 2022, the Tennessee state legislature allocated $250 million to TSU, a partial victory resulting from Harold Love's efforts. Subsequently, a report from the Biden administration indicated a much larger sum.

A report from the Biden administration indicated that Tennessee's debt to TSU exceeded $2 billion, reigniting discussions about how to accurately calculate the total debt and ensure accountability.