Notable Black College Grads

*(Colleges are Listed Alphabetically and graduates are listed alphabetically by first name or stage name.)

Adelphi University

• Chuck D (Bachelor’s, 1984)
• Edolphus Towns, D-NY (MSW)
• Gregory W. Meeks, D-NY (Bachelor’s)

Airforce Institute of Technology

• Guion “Guy” Bluford (M.S., 1974, Ph.D., 1978, Aerospace Engineering)

Alabama A&M University

• James Perkins, Jr. (Bachelor’s, Mathematics)

Alcorn State University (Alcorn A&M)

• Medgar Evers (B.S., 1952)
• Steve McNair (Bachelor’s, 1995)

American Conservatory Theatre

• Anna Deveare Smith (MFA, 1976)

American University

• Star Jones (B.A.)

Amherst College

• Charles R. Drew (Bachelor’s)
• Jeffry Wright (Bachelor’s 1987)

Antioch College

• A. Leon Higginbotham (Bachelor’s, 1949)
• Coretta Scott King
• Ed Bullins (B.A., 1989)
• Eleanor Holmes Norton (B.A., 1960)
• Oz Scott (B.A., 1972)

Atlanta College of Art

• Kara Walker (BFA, Painting/Printmaking)

Atlanta University

• Georgia Douglass Johnson (B.A., 1896)

Auburn University

• Bo Jackson (B.S., Family and Child Development, 1995)

Ball State University

• Steadman Graham (M.Ed.)

Barber-Scotia College

• Mary McLeod Bethune

Barnard College

• Edwidge Danticat (B.A., French Literature)
• Ntozake Shange (B.A., American Studies, 1970, cum laude)
• Zora Neale Hurston (B.A., Anthropology)

Bates College

• Bryant Gumbel (B.A., History, 1970)
• Corey Harris (B.A., Anthropology, 1991)
• John Hope (L.L.D., 1932)

Baylor University

• Michael Johnson (Bachelor’s, 1990)

Beaver College

• Anna Deveare Smith (Bachelor’s)

Berea College

• Carter G. Woodson (B.A., 1903)

Berklee College of Music

• Branford Marsalis (Bachelor’s, Saxophone, 1980)
• Cindy Blackman (Bachelor’s, Drums, 1980)
• Delfeayo Marsalis (Bachelor’s, Trombone, Composition, 1989)
• Kevin Eubanks (Bachelor’s, Guitar, 1979)
• Lalah Hathaway (Bachelor’s, Voice, 1994)

Bethune-Cookman University

• Rodney Chester (B.A.)

Boston College

• Darnell Alford (Bachelor’s, 2003)
• Julianne Malveaux (B.A., Economic, 1975; M.A. Economics, 1976)
• Robert C. Scott, D-VA (J.D.)

Boston University

• Alfre Woodard
• Edward Brooke (J.D., 1948)
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Ph.D.)

Brandeis University

• Angela Davis (B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)
• Loretta Devine (M.F.A., Theatre, 1976)
• Patrik-Ian Polk (B.A., Film and Theatre, 1994)

Brooklyn College

• Gloria Naylor
• Shirley Chisholm (B.A., 1949)

Brown University

• Allison Stewart (B.A., 1988)
• Andre Leon Talley (M.A., French)
• Aunjanue Ellis (B.A.)
• Darryl Thierse (B.A., 1989)
• Edwidge Danticat (M.F.A., Creative Writing)
• Fritz Pollard (Bachelor’s, 1919)
• Gordon Chambers (B.A., 1990)
• Hill Harper (Bachelor’s, 1988)
• John Hope (Bachelor’s, 1894)
• Karyn Bryant (B.A., Political Science, Sociology)
• Larry Elder (B.A., Political Science, 1974)
• Royal Miller (B.A., 1988)
• Scott Poulson-Bryant (B.A., 1988, 2008)

California Institute of the Arts

• Don Cheadle (B.F.A.)
• Thomas Jefferson Byrd (M.F.A., Dance)

California State University – Long Beach

• Betye Saar (M.A., Graphic Design, 1960)

California State University – Los Angeles

• Diane Watson, D-CA (M.A., School Psychology)
• Juanita Millender-McDonald, D-CA (Master’s Educational Administration)
• Maxine Waters, D-CA (B.A.)

California State University – Northridge

• Morris Chestnut (B.A., Finance and Drama)

Cambridge University

• Alexander Crummell (A.B. [Bachelor's], Queen’s College, 1853)
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (M.A., Ph.D.)

Carnegie-Mellon University

• Blair Underwood (Bachelor’s)
• Shari Belafonte-Harper (B.F.A., Drama)

Carson-Newman College

• Michael Eric Dyson (Bachelor’s, Honors, 1982)

Case Western Reserve University

• David Satcher (M.D., Ph.D., 1970, Alpha Omega Alpha)
• Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-OH (Bachelor’s, Social Work, 1971; J.D>, 1974)

Central State University

• Leontyne Price (B.A.)

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

• Ed Bradley (Bachelor’s, Education)

Chicago State University

• Danny K. Davis, D-IL (Master’s)

Chicago Theological Seminary

• Jesse Jackson, Jr. (M.A., Theology)

City College of New York (CCNY)

• Butterfly McQueen (Bachelor’s Political Science, 1975)
• Colin Powell (Bachelor’s Geology)
• Faith Ringgold (Bachelor’s, Fine art and Education, 1955; M.A., Art, 1959)
• Julie Dash (B.A., Film Production)
• Roy Emile Alfredo Innis (Bachelor’s Chemistry)

Claremont Graduate School

• Diane Watson, D-CA (Ph.D., Educational Administration)

Cleveland Marshall School of Law

• Carl Stokes (L.L.B., 1956)

Clark Atlanta University

• Derrick “D-Reck” Dixon (M.B.A.)
• Hosea Williams (Master’s, Chemistry)
• James Weldon Johnson (Bachelor’s, 1896)
• Major Owens, D-NY (M.S.)
• Marva Collins (Bachelor’s)
• Nngest Likke (Bachelor’s)

Colgate University

• Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (B.A., 1930)

College of the Holy Cross

• Clarence Thomas (B.A., cum laude)

Columbia University

• (Alyce) Faye Wattleton (Master’s, Maternal and Infant Care)
• Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (M.A., Religious Education)
• Annie Elizabeth “Bessie” Delany (D.D.S.)
• Audre Lorde (M.L.S.)
• Barack Obama (Bachelor’s Political Science)
• Constance Baker Motley (J.D., 1946)
• James Earl Hardy (Master’s, Journalism)
• James Meredith (L.L.B.)
• Jewelle Gomez (Master’s, Journalism)
• Joel Elias Spingarn (B.A., 1895; Ph.D., 1899)
• Johnathan Reese (Bachelor’s, 2002)
• Junot Diaz (M.F.A., Creative Writing)
• Kenneth B. Clark (Ph.D., 1940)
• Marcellus Wiley (B.A., 1997)
• Mario Van Peebles (B.A., Economics, 1978)
• Mat Johnson (M.F.A., Creative Writing)
• Myronn Hardy (M.F.A., Creative Writing)
• Paul Robeson (J.D., 1923)
• Sara “Sadie” Louis Delany (B.S., Education; Master’s, Teacher’s College, 1925)
• Shirley Chisholm (Master’s, Teacher’s College, Elementary Education)
• Terry McMillan (Master’s, Journalism)
• Victor LaValle (M.F.A., Creative Writing)

Cornell University

• Mae Jemison (M.D., 1981)

Dartmouth College

• Aisha Tyler (Bachelor’s, Political Science with minor in Environmental Policy, 1992)
• Brian J. White (Bachelor’s, Political Psychology, Theatre Arts)
• Keith Boykin (Bachelors, 1987)
• Shonda Rimes (Bachelor’s, 1991)

DePaul University

• Benjamin Hooks (J.D., 1948)

Detroit College of Law

• Dennis Archer (J.D., 1970)

Dillard University

• Alice Dunbar Nelson (B.A., 1892)
• Ruth J. Simmons (B.A. 1967)

Drew University

• Calvin O. Butts (Doctor of Ministry, Church and Public Policy)

Duke University

• Benjamin Chavis (M.Div., 1980)
• Bill Campbell (J.D., 1977)
• Dahntay Jones (Bachelor’s, 2003)
• Denise Majette (J.D., 1979)
• Grant Hill (Bachelor’s, 1994)
• Reggie Love (Bachelor of Arts, 2005)

Eastern Michigan University

• Judge Mathis (Bachelors, 1983 — led the “Free South Africa” and voter registration campaigns on campus)

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Emory University

• Judge Glenda Hatchett (J.D.)
• Sanford Bishop, D-GA (J.D., 1971)

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Fisk University