Explore HBCU – Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private Methodist historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia.
Background
Founded soon after the end of the Civil War in 1865, the institution now known as Clark Atlanta University was originally named Atlanta University.
Atlanta University, the first historically black college and university in the southern United States, was established by James Tate and Grandison B. Daniels, two formerly enslaved individuals who were literate. Tate and Daniels founded the first school in Atlanta for African American children, and over the years the school evolved to become the first institution to award graduate degrees to Black people in the nation.
In turn, Clark University (changed to Clark College in 1940) was a school founded in 1869 by the Methodist Episcopal Church as the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily Black student population. Eventually, for purposes of economy and efficiency, it was decided that both Clark College and Atlanta University would join and form Clark Atlanta University, one of the top institutions in the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
In the Atlanta University Center, Clark Atlanta University is the most comprehensive institution with an offering of more than 40 areas of study at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Its well-known programs include the Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work, which is the first school of social work in the state of Georgia or the School of Business Administration, which is one of the top ten producers of African American business professionals in the nation.
Internationally recognized as a leading research institution of higher education and learning, the university works to remain a diverse, research-intensive, liberal arts institution that prepares and transforms the lives of its students.
Learn more about Clark Atlanta University’s education opportunities here.
Alumni Affairs
Clark Atlanta University boasts a wide array of extraordinary alumni across numerous industries. Some notable figures include, but are not limited to:
- Ralph Abernathy, a notable Civil Rights activist who graduated with a Master’s in Sociology from the university when it was known as Atlanta University in 1951.
- Teneille Gibson, an Emmy award winning journalist and editor who graduated with a degree in Mass Media Arts in 2007.
- Reatha Clark King, chemist and corporate executive, graduated from Clark College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics.
- Kenya Barris, the creator and executive producer of ABC’s well-known sitcom Black-ish also graduated with a degree in Media Arts.
- Valeisha Butterfield Jones graduated in 2000 with a degree in Political Science and is now the co-founder/CEO of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network, as well as the Head of Black Community Engagement at Google.
Financial Information
According to US News & World Report, a 90% of full-time undergraduate students at Clark Atlanta University receive some form of need-based financial aid, the average need-based scholarship or grant award being $2,992.
Most recently, Clark Atlanta made headlines by vowing to cancel all student account balances for the Spring 2020-Summer 2021 in recognition of difficulties faced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
Located at what is known as the cradle of the Civil Rights movement, CAU’s Atlanta location also serves as an epicenter of modern emerging technology and innovation. Clark Atlanta University remains committed to delivering education that is relevant, transformative, and accessible.
Learn more about this leading institution of collegiate study with a strong HBCU heritage here.
Sources:
- https://www.findmyhbcu.org/school/clark-atlanta-university/
- https://www.cau.edu/history.html
- https://www.cau.edu/learn-academics/index.html
- https://www.essence.com/celebrity/clark-atlanta-university-celebrities/#25387
- https://www.cau.edu/news/womens-history-month.html
- https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/clark-atlanta-university-1551
- https://www.cau.edu/news/2021/07/Clark-Atlanta-University-Clears-and-Cancels-Student-Account-Balances-for-Spring-2020-Summer-2021.html
- https://www.cau.edu/history.html#:~:text=Clark%20Atlanta%20University%20is%20a,a%20predominantly%20African%2DAmerican%20heritage.
- https://prsay.prsa.org/2015/10/15/atlanta-cradle-of-the-civil-rights-movement/#:~:text=Atlanta%20is%20known%20as%20the,educational%20opportunities%20for%20African%20Americans.
Pictures:
- CAU Logo: https://pulitzercenter.org/campus-consortium/clark-atlanta-university
- CAU Programs & Opportunities: https://hbcuconnect.com/colleges/19/clark-atlanta-university
- CAU Students: https://saportareport.com/mackenzie-scott-gives-15-million-to-clark-atlanta-5-million-to-ace/sections/reports/maria_saporta/