ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE AT AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM FREE Vol. 40 No. 11
March 18, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Ford eyes lawsuit Page 3
West Side high schools aim to increase HBCU enrollment
New Austin branch librarian looks to expand programming, services, collaboration
Noble Schools and North Lawndale College Prep work to expose students to experiences from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which have seen declining national enrollment in recent years
Rapper, librarian Roy Kinsey wants the library to serve community needs any way it can
By JESSICA MORDACQ
By IGOR STUDENKOV
Staff Writer
Contributing Reporter
Over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country, some of which have existed for over 150 years, were created with the mission to educate Black students. In 2010, about 326,000 students attended HBCUs. In 2022, that number dropped to 290,000, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The enrollment of Black men at HBCUs dropped to its lowest rate in nearly 50 years in 2023, according to Forbes.
PROVIDED
Students stand in front of North Lawndale College Prep Some West Side schools, like DRW College Prep and North Lawndale College Prep, are actively aiming to reverse this drop in enrollment by exposing students to the experiences of HBCU alumni and the rich history of their colleges and universities.
Noble Schools operates 17 free, public charter schools across Chicago, including DRW College Prep in North Lawndale and ITW David Speer Academy on the north edge of Austin. Since 2020, Noble See HBCU on page 4
When Austin Weekly News arrived to interview Roy Kinsey, the Austin branch library manager since December, he was busy discussing patron data with a specialist. And he paused the interview to hear a pitch from Beverly Hill of the Solidify Community Project. She wanted to discuss setting up a “community closet” specifically for teens. This reflected the approach he said is trying to take with his role. Kinsey wants the library See ROY KINSEY on page 6
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