Fisk University

Fisk University is a private historically Black liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1866, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the city and is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Fisk offers undergraduate programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, and is a member of the United Negro College Fund. The university is known for its historic campus, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and its contributions to African American intellectual and cultural life. Students drawn to Fisk University often seek a small-campus environment with a strong liberal arts foundation and a legacy connected to civil rights and social progress.

Fisk University was founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, shortly after the Civil War, to provide education for newly emancipated African Americans. Originally established as the Fisk Free Colored School with support from the Freedmen’s Bureau, the institution was soon chartered as Fisk University. In 1871, the Fisk Jubilee Singers began touring to raise funds, bringing international attention to the university and helping finance the construction of Jubilee Hall. Over the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Fisk University expanded its academic offerings and became an important center for Black higher education. In 1930, it became the first historically Black institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Throughout the twentieth century, Fisk University played a role in civil rights scholarship and activism. In the twenty-first century, it has continued to develop new programs and national initiatives, including launching the first NCAA gymnastics team at a historically Black college.