Are HBCU's a living legacy or a thing of the past?

When ever you here about many of today's top HBCU's , you are first sold the legacy of the university. When it comes to Howard University , you are constantly told of successful alumni ; for example Thurgood Marshall , Debbie Allen, Sean Combs ,etc. You are also told about historical events that took place on Campus. But, you are never told of the past four graduating classes success. Never are up and coming alumni shown off like earlier alumni. In today's economy ,it is harder for even graduates to get jobs. So ,Universities should display how their graduates are able to get jobs in this economy. Therefore, i have come to the conclusion that HBCU's are somewhat a living legacy and at the same time a thing of the past.