Are Historically Black Colleges and Universities Necessary?

In 1967, Harvard professors Christopher Jencks and David Riesman wrote a journal article for the Harvard Educational Review entitled "The American Negro College". In it, they called Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) "Academic Disaster Areas". The article caused quite a stir on HBCU campuses around the country and there were a number of responses to refute what was obviously a gross mischaracterization of these academic institutions. The damage from that article is still being felt as HBCU's continue to fight not only for their reputations, but for their very existence. A question is being asked in many circles where these issues matter: Are Historically Black Colleges and Universities Necessary? Before I give my answer to that question, I should note that I attended Howard University, an HBCU, and am not sure if my experience could have been greater at ANY other institution, black or otherwise. Having said that, not only do I believe they are necessary, but I believe their demise, will have dire consequences in the African American community for generations to come.

The Difference Is...

Having attended both a predominately white institution (PWI) and an HBCU my feeling is that one of the differences lays in expectation level. At HBCU's expectations of black students are high regardless if you're a diamond in the rough student or not. Many professors will double as guidance counselors to instill in a borderline student the confidence that they can achieve. In other words, they will work with you. I can say from experience that I did not feel that at the PWI I attended. At Hunter College, the attitude of my professors was basically, here's the material, here's the exam, there's the door when your done. Having said that, I cannot say that the quality of education was any different, as I learned a great deal at both schools.

Another difference is that HBCU's campuses are often small and tight-knit communities, complete with reminders of which gives students a feeling that they aren't just another set of student ID numbers. Anyone who has visited a major PWI knows, most PWI campuses are like mini towns, complete with a mall, a bank, a stadium and multiple dining halls. So the experience for young black man or woman attending an HBCU is often more enriching and affirming than it is at a PWI.

I am not going to address the "partying" issues of either type of school in depth since its my belief that "partying" is part of the college experience. How much, and how we party is irrelavant. Whether its keg parties complete with Jello shots or Hennessey and weed parties, to me its all the same ish...gettin' high.



MY story not HIStory

Because of their unique position in the social and political struggle of African Americans, HBCU's have become the gatekeepers of African-American history. Anyone who's has ever been to the Moorland-Spingarn Research Library at Howard University can attest to this assessment. It was in this building that Thurgood Marshall and others began work on the Brown v. Board case. Nevermind the pleathora of doctors, lawyers, educators, entertainers, inventors, that have come from these instituions. We tend to forget that there was a time where HBCU's were the ONLY option a black person had to go to school. We tend to forget that the figures who made and continue to make our history are alumni and alumnae of these schools. When I discovered how many named scholars come from HBCU's I was shocked. Since 1998, Howard University ALONE University has produced two Rhodes Scholars, a Truman Scholar, a Marshall Scholar, 19Fulbright Scholars and 10 Pickering Fellows. This from a school once labeled, an "academic disaster area". Howard University Medical school was described as "a school that would have been closed a long time ago, if it were not the only option for negroes in medicine." Today, Howard produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. Some may say, well, Howard is part of the "HBCU Ivy League" (Morehouse, Fisk, Spelman, Hampton, Wilberforce, etc.). I would submit to you General William "Kip" Ward of Morgan State University in Baltimore. General Ward is the highest ranking African American in the military and its only black four-star general. My point isn't to give you a who's who of HBCU's, but to make clear, that these schools produce excellence. That excellence, is an important part of who we are today. Preservation of these schools ensures that we are atleast on the playing field, even if it isn't always level. These schools tell and keep our story in this country. There is no exclusionist history as there is at PWI's, our contributions to this country is recounted, counted, and preserved at HBCU's and that is yet another reason why they are necessary.

Why Folks Have a Problem

As with everything, HBCU's do not come without their faults. One of the major ones that people bring up is the idea that HBCUs do not provide you with a realistic view of the world. Very few people go on to work in an environment where black people are in the majority. Curiously, I've worked in more than a half-dozen places where that was the case, but I digress. Many people believe that HBCU's provide you with a false sense of reality, meaning that they get you accustomed to the idea of working with people who look like you. The United States is a very diverse place. While there is some level of diversity that can be gained from dealing with black people who are from different places, it is not quite the same as having to work with white, Indian and Asian people for example, which is an experience that you would have at a non-HBCU. It is important to note however that just because you haven?t worked with many people of different races in the past does not mean that you won't be able to at all. Some people are just simply better at dealing with situations like this. Attending a college with a more diverse student body simply allows you to gain more experience with dealing with people who are not like you.

Black students today now have the option to attend just about any institution that they want to. Due to some affirmative action rules, there are many schools that are trying to diversify their population even more and are offering scholarships to students who attend traditionally white institutions. For this reason and a few others, people feel that affirmative action hurts HBCU's. To understand this, you have to understand that of course, affirmative action was not created just for black people. It is made for people who are in the minority. As far as HBCU's go, white people are in the minority. Part of the thing about HBCU's is their rich tradition. Some HBCU's have been worried that they will lose some of the tradition involved because many of them have had to lower their entrance standards and also accept students of other races. This problem has resulted in some HBCU's not being HBCU's anymore. Some schools have gone from having 80% of their population being African-American to 15% being African-American.



Everybody wants a piece, but y'all want a BIGGER piece

2 billion

That's it.

2 billion.

This is the total endowment of all HBCU's in the country combined. To give you a sense of how small that is, one school, Harvard, has an endowment of nearly 40 billion dollars. That’s the same endowment of Williams College–one school with 1,000 fewer students than Morehouse as a friend of mine pointed out to me today. It is no wonder that so many HBCU's are now gearing up for 5-10 year fundraising campaigns...they're broke! It is clear, that funding for HBCU's is no priority for the Bush Administration as it has proposed to cut 85 million dollars or 35% of the funding for HBCU's from last year. With that in mind, alumnae and alumni have become even more important in sustaining and preserving HBCU's. If alumni participation rates do not improve, we will see more and more schools close and with them generations of tradition and history. It takes five minutes to send 25, 35, 50 dollars to your college. You may not think its alot, but small donations are the foundation of all fundraising efforts. HBCU's are no different.

What this also reveals in my view, is the ability of HBCU's to maximize what little it does have. 80% of all students attending HBCU's still require some form of financial aid. According to Diverse Magazine, HBCUs represent only 3 percent of all colleges and universities, but they enroll close to one-third of all Black students. Forty percent of HBCU students pursue four-year degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, and about half of all Black students in teaching fields attended HBCUs. To me that is amazing, and as the president of Johnson C. Smith College said, " If we didn’t exist, you would have to create us." I concur, HBCU's are that important. Instead of cutting funding and questioning the necessity of these schools, we should be focusing on how we can improve on the already solid successes of these institutions, they are a worthy investment.

The Answer is....Y-E-S!

HBCU's are as vital to the viability of America as they've ever been. They are without a doubt a necessity and those that would find fault with how these schools function, is failing to see the big picture. In a country that gives millions to black men and women who throw, run, catch, sing, strip, and rap, we should be willing to give millions to those who lead, create, and achieve beyond the possible.
We cannot and we must not allow these institutions to fall under the ideas that they are a holdover from segregation or that somehow the quality of education is inferior to PWI's. Both ideas are flawed, and the arguments for either are usually based in racist and elitist thought. HBCU's serve a population of this country that desperately needs them and a majority population that would be wise to support them.