This chapter outlines how historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have served an important role in promoting access to higher education for Black faculty when other venues were closed to them. During their inception, HBCUs were far from equal in terms of infrastructure, resources, and operating budgets; these inequities persist to the present day. HBCUs have a rich legacy of producing charismatic leaders. For example, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Ella Baker, Barbara Jordan, and Stokely Carmichael who all valiantly advocated for societal change for all and served as positive role models to many African Americans. Black colleges also provide a rich source of social networks to students, fostering an empowering educational climate (Palmer & Gasman, 2008).