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By Dominic Green
20 Most Beautiful HBCU Campuses Dominic Green Orlalndo , Florida Black History February 2017
ampuses
At Complex , we love to throw spotlight on the college expe r ience , particularly the outside the classroom activities . Whether it ' s places to stuff your face with great late night food or the best spots to grab a beer and watch the big game , we ' ve got the " letting loose " part of the college game covered . But every once in a while , we like to put down the pizza and beer and reminisce on the more high-minded pursuits of our school days .
Many Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been around since the end of the Civil Wa r , and showcase their rich history and tradition through their architecture . And with prominent alumni shelling more money into their alma maters , a lot of these campuses are adding million dollar buildings that feature state of the art technology that rival the ( other ) top tier schools in the country . Yet we ' ve never seen a list highlighting these campuses . So whether you attended one of these schools or are just now learning what HBCU stands for , peep our list of The 20 Most Beautiful Historically Black College and University Campuses and check some of that history for yourself And yes , afterward we can have a pizza and a beer and quibble over the rankings .
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Xavier University New Orleans , LA Founded : 1915 The campus of Xavier University of Louisiana is sometimes called the Emerald City because of all the green-roofed buildings on campus . These include the Library / Resource Center , the Norman C . Francis science building , the University Center , the Living Center and a few others . Xavier
is the only HBCU Catholic school in the nation
Univet 'S lty ofVi1 -g ln Islands
St . Croix & St . Thomas , Virgin Islands Fonnded : 1962 Even though the school was founded in the ' 60s , UV ! dido '! join the list of HBCU ' s until 1986 . Both their campuses boast excellent sports and fitness centers that balance indoor and outdoor activities . They annually host the Paradise Jam , a tournament that brings in top Division I basketball programs to compete . Oh , and you can practically snorkel from dorm room to classroom .
Vlrglnln State University Petersburg, VA Fonnded : 1882 This campus sits atop a rolling landscape overlooking the Appomattox River in the Chesterfield County village of Ettrick VSU students live and learn on a 236 acre main campus , with more than 50 buildings , including 16 dormitories and 17 classroom buildings , and a 416 acre agricultural research facility . Without VSU , we ' d never know how much we wanted EFX . Snoop and Dre met as students there , joining forces as Das EFX. spawning all sorts of slang ending in " -iggedy ".
Grambling State University Grambling , LA Fonnded : 1901
Grambling State University opened on November 1 . 1901 as the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School . It was organized in 189 6 by a group of African-American farmers who wanted to organize and operate a school for African-Americans in their region of the state . The school is named after P . G . Grambling , a sawmill owner who had donated the parcel of land where the school was constructed In 1974 it became Grambling State University .
Florida A & M University Tallahassee , FL
Fonnded 1887 F1orida Agricultural and Mechanical University was founded as the State Normal College for Colored Students , and on October 3 , 1887 , it began classes with I 5 students and 2 instructors . Prominently located on the highest hill in F1orida ' s capital city of Tallahassee , Florida A & M University remains the only historically black university in the eleven member State University System of Florida
Fisk University Nashville , TN
Fonnded 1866 In 1930 , Fisk was the first African-American institution to gain accro:htation by the South .-m Association of Colleges and Schools and accreditation for specialized programs quickly followed . In
1952 , they were the first predominantly black college to earn a chapter of the academic honor society , Phi Beta Kappa . The 40 acre campus is also a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Nikki Giovanni , the acclaimed poet and
activist , is Just one of many notable alumni .