Interconnectedness of Race and Social Matters within Social Work Education: HBCUs Summative Analysis

Background: The genesis of the social work was based on helping oppressed and vulnerable populations for social justice (e.g., NASW, 2024). This is part of the profession’s ethos. The populations that are at the heart of the profession are the voiceless and the people who continue to be treated differently because of historic institutionalized barriers. The discipline now has a 13th Grand Challenge to uphold to work toward the elimination of racism (Spencer & Teasley, 2021). George Floyd’s and other African American killings by police engendered this grand challenge; a new call for social workers and those pursuing an education in it (Teasley et al., 2021). Scholars emphasized that the eliminating racism addendum is symbolic of the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution instituted for guaranteed rights for all people to have equity (School of Social Work at UT Arlington, 2021). The purpose, “Is there an Africentric trend from the varied degree typologies of social work at HBCUs?” and report the findings in hopes that social work scholars continue to build from this work for diverse thought and inclusive practices.

Methods: The integration of social work in HBCUs is analyzed. An exploratory summative content analysis is used to identify the prevalence of race-related themes. The qualitative approach starts with the recognition and counting of certain words with the intent of acquiring a greater understanding of the text.

Results: Ninety percent of HBCUs that offer social work education are in the South. All the HBCUs offering doctorates are historically southern where racial disadvantage was de jure and not simply de facto. The history of overt racial discrimination in the South has made it an enduring battleground where social workers and others fight for progress (Carlton-LaNey, 1999). Public HBCUs account for over half of all programs (58%) (Albritton, 2012). Nearly half of all available dissertations reviewed from HBCUs in social work focused specifically on issues of race and the Black experience. Contextually, the authors explored and examined historical traumas, issues which they had personal experiences, and contemporary topics of race. While many studies prioritized topics and directly addressed issues of racial discrimination and prejudice, others expressed the impact of social systems and phenomena from a Black perspective. Collectively, the research encapsulated the multifaceted layers, experiences, and challenges faced by Black people and the range of social work approaches needed for engagement.

Conclusions: A constant theme was the preparation of the individual social worker and by extension, the discipline, for more targeted attention to the needs and concerns of Black people. The dissertations represent almost 40 years of scholarship calling for equitable treatment and a more serious analysis of Black people within social work. Despite what at times appeared to be cyclic expressions of frustration with unresponsive and lethargic social institutions, a sense of hope, not defeat or victimization permeated the bodies of work. The types of research conducted by doctoral students reflect that they like HBCU faculty emphasize the value of studying issues from an Africentric perspective (Marshall et al., 2016).