In the lead up to today's artificial intelligence (AI) arms race, few institutions of learning have matched the vision and innovation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
As Dr. Emmanuel Lalande noted, HBCUs are not late to AI—they are "leaders in using algorithms, neural networks, and digital dashboards to turn historic exclusion into future empowerment."
AI now leads every conversation across America. But HBCUs didn’t just join in. They have been integrating AI and machine learning into their computer science curriculum for decades.
Five years ago, while others debated the value of virtual reality, HBCUs demonstrated how immersive, intelligent environments could uplift learners, catalyze careers, and build resilient communities.
While much of the world hesitated at the edge of the digital unknown, HBCUs boldly entered the Metaverse, planting their flag with the launch of the HBCU Village in STEM City USA.
In partnership with Career Communications Group (CCG) and its pioneering platform STEM City USA, HBCUs launched the HBCU Village, an immersive environment inside the Educational Discovery Center.
The HBCU Village wasn’t just about presence in the Metaverse. It was a strategic prototype for what inclusive, AI-infused education could look like.
In 2020, when global uncertainty loomed and universities struggled to pivot, for HBCUs—long experienced in doing more with less—this was not disruption. HBCUs were already investing deeply in AI research, workforce development, and cross-sector partnerships—positioning themselves not only as participants in the fourth industrial revolution but as architects of its equity-driven future.
From the Metaverse to Machine Learning, it was a legacy of bold moves.
The HBCU Village in STEM City wasn’t just a virtual campus; it was a radical redesign of how culture, education, and community could intersect in 3D space with digital twin campuses of iconic HBCUs, AI-enhanced learning modules tailored for STEM disciplines, live-streamed mentorships, virtual career fairs, and interactive labs bridging students with industry leaders and federal agencies.
The HBCU Village wasn’t just about presence in the Metaverse. It was a strategic prototype for what inclusive, AI-infused education could look like: Students explored cybersecurity simulations and digital twin urban planning scenarios, faculty held workshops on ethical AI, data justice, and algorithmic accountability, and AI-powered chatbots helped guide students through academic and career navigation—years before mainstream higher education adopted similar tools. This fusion of AI, immersive media, and culturally rooted design has now influenced digital equity frameworks across industries and agencies.
The HBCU Village was powered by the same AI engines now shaping national defense, healthcare, and workforce readiness.
HBCUs didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t ask for validation. They simply built. Leading voices such as Dr. James DeBardelaben, who has decades of experience providing solutions to the defense and intelligence communities, have proposed initiatives such as an HBCU-based AI Centers of Excellence, AI-focused national security pipelines with clearance sponsorship, and AI-driven, project-based curricula aligned with defense and public sector needs.
AI must reflect the diversity of experience, said Dr. DeBardelaben. And there’s no better place to shape that future than the halls of our HBCUs.
As the U.S. accelerates its AI capabilities, the untapped potential of HBCUs is being recognized: HBCUs produce a critical mass of U.S.-citizen STEM graduates—ideal for AI jobs that require national security clearance. Deans and industry leaders now advocate for government-funded clearance programs, starting as early as sophomore year. The Department of Defense and National Science Foundation have already increased partnerships for AI innovation in cybersecurity, logistics, and predictive analytics.
Now, as the world races to keep up with the demands of the AI age, the rest of the nation would do well to ask: What can we learn from HBCUs?
HBCU-Driven AI Highlights you should know include Morgan State University's $9 million investment to scale AI and machine learning research, Alabama A&M University's Laboratory for Deep Learning, backed by a $480,000 grant from the Army Research Office, Southern University and A&M College collaboration with IBM to develop AI solutions addressing public safety, air quality, and transportation challenges., and Norfolk State University hosting national forums such as the Research and Innovation Symposium (RISE) with Brookings Institution, addressing AI’s role in equity and national strategy.
Looking ahead to 2030, these are the imperatives for building on the momentum:
- Expand access to AI and immersive learning from K–12 through PhD levels
- Fund and federate AI Centers of Excellence across HBCU campuses
- Codify Metaverse-based learning as part of a federal workforce strategy
- Build policy frameworks for ethical, equitable AI development—grounded in HBCU research
For interviews, data requests, or partnership inquiries related to this article or ongoing AI/Metaverse initiatives at HBCUs, please reach out to:
- Tyrone D. Taborn – Publisher, USBE Magazine 📧 ttaborn at cgmag.com
- Dr. James DeBardelaben – AI and National Security Advisor 📧 jdebardelaben at hbcuvanguard.org
- Dr. Robin N. Coger – Provost, East Carolina University (Former Dean, N.C. A&T Engineering) 📧 rcoger at ecsu.edu
- Shawna Stepp-Jones – Founder, Divaneering Foundation 📧 shawna at divaneering.org
Further Reading & Resources: