Hampton University Seeks to Regain Land Grant Status After Jim Crow-Era Removal

Virginia bill aims to restore funding and research opportunities stripped from HBCU in 1920

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Hampton University, a historically Black college in Virginia, is seeking to regain its land grant status that was stripped away in 1920 during the Jim Crow era. A new bill in the Virginia legislature would restore Hampton's land grant designation and create a fund to make up for the decades of lost federal funding for research and student support. The move would benefit Hampton's STEM programs and provide more opportunities for its students, many of whom rely on scholarships to attend the private university.

Why it matters

The removal of Hampton University's land grant status in 1920 was part of a broader wave of segregation-era policies that disadvantaged historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Restoring this designation could provide critical funding for Hampton's research, facilities, and student support, helping to address longstanding inequities faced by the school and other HBCUs that were stripped of land grant status during the Jim Crow era.

The details

In 1920, Virginia lawmakers stripped Hampton University of its land grant status, cutting the private HBCU off from decades of potential federal funding for research and programs in areas like marine science, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and biomedicine. The state's rationale was that Virginia already had two land grant institutions - the predominantly white Virginia Tech and the HBCU Virginia State University. However, experts say this was part of a broader pattern of states underfunding HBCUs, even though federal law did not restrict states to only one land grant HBCU. Now, a new bill in the Virginia legislature aims to restore Hampton's land grant designation and create a restoration fund to make up for the lost funding over the past century.

  • In 1920, Hampton University was stripped of its land grant status.
  • In January 2026, state Sen. Mamie Locke introduced a bill to restore Hampton's land grant status.
  • In 2026, the Virginia Senate unanimously passed the bill, which is now before the state House's higher education committee.

The players

Hampton University

A historically Black college located in Hampton, Virginia.

Sen. Mamie Locke

A Democratic state senator from Hampton, Virginia who introduced the bill to restore Hampton University's land grant status.

Zuri Murphy

A graduating senior at Hampton University who studies urban policy and advocates for reparations to be paid to HBCUs.

Israel Billups

A graduating biology student at Hampton University who is a descendant of Carter G. Woodson and hopes future STEM students will benefit from the proposed legislation.

Felecia Commodore

An associate professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who is familiar with the history of land grant status at HBCUs.

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What they’re saying

“Reparations should be paid in part to HBCUs, since y'all are already scamming us. So if we're going to talk about reparations, let's just throw in what we should be doing anyway.”

— Zuri Murphy, Graduating senior (Capital B)

“Why not have it re-established for an institution that still has a mission dedicated to workforce development and the same issue for which it was initially established in the first place?”

— Sen. Mamie Locke, State Senator (Capital B)

“Almost all of my friends I know are here on scholarships and scholarships like mine that are over $20,000. As someone who is from Atlanta, most people went to the University of Georgia, because that's your local state school. Hampton, for me, was not really an option unless I had a scholarship.”

— Zuri Murphy, Graduating senior (Capital B)

“I'm very excited to come back in years and be one of those alumni who's like, 'Man, they didn't have this when I was here.'”

— Israel Billups, Graduating biology student (Capital B)

What’s next

If the bill passes the Virginia House and is signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Hampton University would regain its land grant status and the state would create a restoration fund to make up for the funding the university lost over the past century.

The takeaway

The effort to restore Hampton University's land grant status is part of a broader movement to address the longstanding inequities faced by historically Black colleges and universities, which were systematically underfunded and disadvantaged during the Jim Crow era. Providing HBCUs like Hampton with the same level of federal and state support as other land grant institutions could have a transformative impact on their research capabilities, facilities, and ability to support students, many of whom rely on scholarships to attend.