President Roderick L. Smothers of Philander Smith College inwards Little Rock authored a guest editorial supporting the necessitate for historically dark colleges for Arkansas Online on Dec 31, 2015, the spider web version of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Smothers contends that HBCUs are yet needed in addition to play a valuable purpose inside the higher instruction community.
The article notes that Arkansas Baptist College, Shorter College inwards North Little Rock, in addition to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff join Philander Smith equally the 4 HBCUs inwards Arkansas.
Philander Smith College was founded inwards 1877 equally Waldon Seminary is affiliated amongst the United Methodist Church.
Shorter College inwards North Little Rock was founded inwards 1886 past times the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
As a publicly supported institution, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff traces the founding to 1873 legislation that established the Branch Normal College equally purpose of the Arkansas Industrial University [now, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, AR].
