Renegotiating the relationship between HBCUs and state higher education boards to address coloniality

State higher education coordinating and governing boards play a tremendous role in the oversight, regulation, and success of institutions. State funding policies significantly impact the survival and growth of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The relationship between HBCUs and state governments has historically not been harmonious, largely due to systemic white hegemony, which perpetuated legalized and subversive racial segregation and oppression. This long history of racism has manifested in many ways, including strategically designed policies meant to create inequities in resource allocation and oversight for HBCUs. In this conceptual paper, we identify how HBCUs and their advocates interact with state higher education coordinating and governing boards to engage in policymaking to support HBCUs and their students, as well as underlying political-historical and socio-cultural triggers that inform this relationship. This analysis highlights problems with white colonial perspectives and approaches to state policymaking for HBCUs. We conclude by pointing out gaps and opportunities for both research and practice on the relationship between state higher education coordinating and governing boards and HBCUs, particularly as it pertains to improving HBCU participation in the state policymaking process.