How is Howard a beacon in Between the World and Me?

In his book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates shares with his readers his thoughts on attending Howard University in the 1990s. He talks about how the historically black university (HBCU is the acronym) shaped his life. At Howard, Coates learned about the variety of experiences of blackness and the many forms that black students and cultural backgrounds could take. He spent countless hours in the library informing himself about black literature, politics, and history. He dated women and made friends on campus who shared their experiences of being black in America. One of these friends, Prince Jones, was later shot by a police officer in Virginia. A jury later held the police officer responsible for a wrongful death. Coates did not graduate from Howard but instead left to pursue a career in writing. He has since returned as a celebrated member of the Howard community to offer financial aid for scholarships.