Black College Enrollment Is Down—And That’s a Terrible Sign for America

Introduction: A Disturbing Trend with Deep Consequences

College has long been one of the few available paths for upward mobility in America, especially for Black students. So when the incoming class at a respected institution like “Amers College” drops from 11% to just 3% Black in a single year, it’s more than a statistical dip—it’s a seismic warning. This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about our future. It’s about whether Black Americans will continue to have access to the middle and upper middle class, or whether we are being pushed back into a permanent underclass.

1. College: A Gateway to Economic Power

College remains one of the most powerful tools for breaking cycles of poverty and inequality. From undergrad degrees to professional schools, these institutions create access to stable careers, networks, and leadership roles. Trade schools are important and valuable, but they don’t typically offer the same gateway to generational wealth, policy influence, or corporate leadership.

🔹 When Black enrollment plummets, so does Black representation in the professional and decision-making classes.

2. A Shrinking Black Middle Class

If these numbers are not reversed, the result will be a generational decline in the Black middle and upper-middle classes. The decline from 11% to 3% isn’t a fluke—it reflects a broader attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts (DEI), a dismantling of pipelines designed to create access for marginalized communities. This isn’t just neglect; it feels intentional.

🔹 The message is loud and clear: “You can clean the buildings, but you can’t be the ones making decisions inside them.”

3. The End of Race-Based Admissions: A Systemic Setback

With the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action, colleges can no longer legally consider race in admissions. But race has always mattered in education—whether it was through segregation, redlining, or biased testing. Removing one of the few tools to fight back against centuries of exclusion doesn’t level the playing field; it just ensures the advantage stays where it’s always been.

🔹 This is not equality. It’s regression.

4. How Colleges Are Fighting Back

Some institutions are trying to adapt by focusing on first-generation college applicants. This strategy indirectly supports Black and Brown students who are more likely to be the first in their families to attend college. It’s a smart move, but it won’t fully offset the impact of race-blind policies unless it’s scaled up dramatically and intentionally.

🔹 We need to flood those applications, support these institutions, and push for deeper reforms.

Conclusion: This Is a Crossroads, Not a Coincidence

This decline in Black enrollment is not just a bad sign—it’s a coordinated outcome of political attacks on DEI, affirmative action, and educational access. It’s an effort to redefine the American middle class as whiter, wealthier, and more exclusive. If this trend holds, it won’t just damage the Black community—it will damage the country. A society that sidelines its own people cannot thrive. Representation isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.