An HBCU in the Anglophone Caribbean: Sociohistorical Perspectives on the University of the Virgin Islands

Abstract

This chapter discusses the sociohistories that shape the current existential realities for HBCU education in the Caribbean, particularly the University of the Virgin Islands. The distinction, Anglophone Caribbean (also commonly referred to as the British West Indies), is a way of naming the intentional displacement and conquering of the indigenous people of the islands. Following a theorization of colonization, the chapter discusses the politics of higher education in the Anglophone Caribbean that influence the existence of the only HBCU outside the continental US, The University of the Virgin Islands. This context is essential to understanding the university’s founding and modern existence.

Citation

Elon Dancy, T., Hotchkins, B.K., deGregory, C.A. and Johnson, S. (2017), "An HBCU in the Anglophone Caribbean: Sociohistorical Perspectives on the University of the Virgin Islands", Brown, M.C. and Dancy, T.E. (Ed.) Black Colleges Across the Diaspora: Global Perspectives on Race and Stratification in Postsecondary Education (Advances in Education in Diverse Communities, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 207-221. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-358X20160000014011