This paper is a call to meet new challenges to ensure equal opportunity for historically African American colleges and universities. The paper suggests an inter-institutional effort among members of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education that begins internally and then moves beyond the institutions into the public forum. The following principles are emphasized: (1) recognition by faculty and staff that there is a tradition of at-risk children being able to learn; (2) successful instruction in basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic using mastery learning concepts; (3) development of curricula, teaching techniques, materials, and activities to ensure that students learn the skills necessary to develop new models of enterprise; (4) development of independent economic enterprises at historically black colleges and universities that would provide endowments and operating funds and thus free institutions from the need to depend on philanthropy and public funding; and (5) encouragement of active alumni groups who give money, provide mentoring, are good recruiters, and support public relations efforts. Also suggested is a new social contract between institutions and students emphasizing the responsibilities on both sides. (CH)