Over the past decade, some historically Black institutions have developed women’s and gender studies programs and embedded courses within general education curriculum.
When Dr. Adele Newson-Horst was developing a grant proposal, she quoted a 2015 article published in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education that noted HBCU institutions had been slow to introduce gender-related programs. 
At Delaware State, students pursuing women's and gender studies are examining the intersection of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality.
“At the time I was quite unhappy that in 2015 we had so few HBCUs investing in this very important topic,” says Newson-Horst, professor of English at Morgan State University and director of the women, gender, and sexuality (WGS) studies program. “Nobody is going to tell our story and keep it from erasure but us.”
Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College are the only HBCUs that offer a major or degree program. Morgan State introduced its program as a minor in 2009 at the behest of Dr. Burney J. Hollis, then dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Newson-Horst is frustrated by the slow progress toward majors and more institutions having minors, but she says she is pleased by Howard University’s new Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership, which showcases the field’s importance.
“At Morgan, our two required courses for the minor have been approved as general education credits, and that is certainly a good move because it’s saying whether you minor in it or not, you’re invited to take these courses,” says Newson-Horst. “We have a proposal for a graduate certificate program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies that the provost supports. … We are in the next phase of pushing forward.”
Viewing through a gender lens
Delaware State University’s women’s and gender studies program seeks to motivate students to pursue their interests in matters related to identity and power relations regarding the intersection of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality.
