“Mental health, like physical and spiritual health, demands balance and intentional self-care. This new research on the long-term mental health benefits for HBCU graduates is both bittersweet and entirely logical.
“As a Spelman College graduate and having watched friends from my Brooklyn childhood thrive at HBCUs, I’ve witnessed firsthand the self-awareness, confidence, and quiet strength those experiences cultivate. “
“In many ways, Black colleges remain the last true psychological safe zones for our youth. Spaces that offer protection, push you toward excellence, and give you full permission to be yourself.

“That environment plants something lasting: when life gets hard, you return to yourself, your community, your people. That instinct doesn’t disappear at graduation. It deepens for life.
“This isn’t to say that students who didn’t attend HBCUs can’t develop that same grounding. But there is something about the shared experience of HBCU culture, however diverse its students, that builds a community with no expiration date.”
— Binta Vann, Bed-Stuy native, product of NYC Public Schools, Spelman College graduate, and marketing executive

No Explanation of Identity
“Those of us who attend HBCUs often experience better mental health because we’re in spaces where we don’t have to explain our identity—we’re simply understood and supported. We’re seen as the standard, not the exception. We’re grounded in legacy and community and constantly affirmed that we belong.”
— Najah I. Vann, Virginia State University

Culturally Rich
If you have attended an HBCU, you’ll likely experience better mental health because you are exposed to environments that are culturally rich and affirming, create and foster strong community bonds, and reduce experiences of marginalization. HBCUs foster mental wellness by creating a sense of belonging that’s essential for thriving.”
— Naim I. Vann, Howard University

Life-long Friends
“My three brothers and I graduated from HBCUs. I am forever grateful for my parents’ sacrifice. Spelman gave me the community and individual confidence to understand my place in this world. But most importantly, I gained life-long, supportive friends that will always tell me the truth but also make me laugh.”
-Patrice Blakemore, Graduate of Spelman College

Role Models Guided and Reinforced Dreams
“For the first time I can recall, I was taught by women of African American descent who looked like me. They were all well-educated and held PhDs. They supported and encouraged me. I always knew I could achieve whatever I desired- which was a Doctor of Jurisprudence. However, they provided additional reinforcement of my lifelong desire to be an Attorney.”
-Chanet Richard, Spelman Alum