Lincoln University, located in Pennsylvania, is recognized as the oldest historically Black degree-granting institution in the United States. It was founded in 1854 as the Ashmun Institute, named after Jehudi Ashmun, a religious leader and social reformer who was instrumental in the reestablishment of the American Colonization Society in Liberia. The institution was later renamed Lincoln University in honor of President Abraham Lincoln in 1866.

Throughout its history, Lincoln University has played a significant role in the education and empowerment of Black students. The university has produced notable alumni, including civil rights activist and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, who became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University; poet and civil rights activist Langston Hughes; and Thurgood Marshall, the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Lincoln University has also been a center of activism and advocacy for social justice and equality. Its faculty, students, and alumni have been involved in various civil rights movements and initiatives throughout history. Today, Lincoln University continues to uphold its legacy of providing a quality education to Black students and promoting diversity, inclusion, and academic excellence.