In 1856, the Methodist Episcopal Church founded Wilberforce University in Tawawa Springs (today called Wilberforce), Ohio. This institution was the oldest private HBCU in the U.S. and was dedicated to educating free men and women who escaped enslavement. Toward the reconstruction era, several HBCUs emerged with a diverse range of aims. On the one hand, institutions such as the Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute (1868; today’s Hampton University) and Tuskegee Institute (1881; today’s Tuskegee University) were committed to vocational skills and studies. While on the other hand, institutions such as Fisk University (1866), Howard University (1867), Atlanta University (1865; today’s Clark Atlanta University), Morehouse College (1867), and Spelman College (1881) were invested in the liberal arts tradition. Regardless of different methodologies, all of these institutions are committed to the upliftment of Black students and continue to lift as they climb through every human endeavor.