A report of the Task Force on Black and Hispanic Student Enrollment and Retention in New England is presented. It is noted that New England is predominantly white, and there are many stark inequities in minority participation in New England higher education. Task Force findings include the following: it is an economic necessity that a larger proportion of New England's Black and Hispanic residents join the region's skilled labor force; racist behavior and attitudes on New England campuses must be acknowledged and eradicated; and the New England states have inadequate data collection systems for tracking the progress in higher education of racial and ethnic minorities. The 20 Task Force recommendations include: states should provide more financial aid for low-income students at all levels of higher education; college/university presidents should activate self-assessments of their campuses' racial climate and then adopt initiatives to address problems discovered; and campuses should pay special attention to average students and help them master basic competencies. An appendix provides 12 tables (e.g., Black and Hispanic enrollments in New England and the United States; national high school graduation rates 1968-1985; degrees conferred in New England 1984-1985; and U.S. doctorate recipients by racial/ethnic group, 1987). (SM)