With barriers instilled to prevent African Americans from being educated, Blacks fought and built their own pathway. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, also known as HBCUs, are higher learning institutions established before 1964 with the mission of educating Black students. Many HBCUs started in peoples’ homes, church basements, and old school buildings. With the passing of the Morrill Act of 1890, many states were required to provide land grants for colleges to serve black students, enabling HBCUs to build their own campuses (Affordable). According to Anderson, a senior researcher at Pew Research Center, there are currently 101 HBCUs across the United States. Each of these institutions are important because they provide a comfortable space for students, academics are a priority, and lifetime connections are made.
The atmosphere students receive at a HBCU is an unexplainable feeling. One of my primary reasons for choosing a HBCU is because I felt comfortable. Going on several college tours to different institutions, I only felt at home at any HBCU I visited. At every campus, starting with Morgan State and ending with North Carolina A&T, students, staff, and faculty were always welcoming. There was never a dull moment, as fraternities and sororities stomped their life away or the marching band paraded around the campuses. At Clark Atlanta University, you can find an event every day. For example, every Thursday is Market Thursday where different entrepreneurs get to sell their merchandise. These vendors vary from clothing embracing being Black to selling bundles. Yes, bundles as in hair. Students get a chance to buy discounted clothes, accessories, hair products, and many more at their own convenience.
Equally important, HBCUs challenge their students with rigorous academics. According to the United Negro College Fund, “HBCUs make up only three percent of the country’s colleges and universities, yet produce almost 20 percent of all African American graduates.” While this may seem small, it is crucial to highlight that “40 percent of Black U.S. Congress members, 80 percent of Black judges, 50 percent of Black lawyers and 40 percent of the nation’s Black engineers are products of HBCUs” (Johnson). This is important because according to the pipeline system, Black males are supposed to end up in prison.
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Black females are supposed to dropout of school and become teenage mothers. However, with Black young adults applying and attending college, they are overcoming all limitations and defying the odds. Also, HBCUs embrace their history, meaning that students finally learn the truth. From elementary school, students are taught from a textbook that is altered to make Europeans look almighty. At HBCUs, everyone makes it known that Africans are the reason most things exist. Our ancestors were the ones who created mathematics, physics, speech, and many more. Therefore, we are the ones who must uphold and continue our legacy.
Lastly, and most importantly, at HBCUs, lifetime connections are made. With so many organizations, students are bound to find the right clique. At Clark Atlanta University, there are about 50 organizations that focus on the academic, social, and service aspects of campus life.
It is also important to note that alumi have paved the way and remain active seeking ways to improve their alma mater. Just a few examples are Morehouse graduate Spike Lee, Howard University graduate Toni Morrison, and Tennessee State University graduate Oprah Winfrey (Essence). In regard to my HBCU, many of the professors are alumnis. They always provide opportunities for students, ranging simply from mentorship to jobs. The support students recieve emphasize that famiy-like feeling I experienced on the college tour.
Martin Luther King Jr. said “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
Historically Black Colleges and Universities allow Black students to find their purpose and create the brand. They allow students to feel comfortable, gain a powerful education, and build their network. There is no other place where Black people can be themselves and not feel like the minority. There is no other place where Black people can be supported despite their failures. There is no other place where Black people can start off as a caterpillar and grow into a butterfly. There is simply no other place like a HBCU.
Works Cited
- Anderson, Monica. “Enrollment at HBCUs: A Closer Look.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 28 Feb. 2017, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/28/a-look-at-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-as-howard-turns-150/.
- “Guess Which Celebs Went to HBCUs.” Essence, ESSENCE, www.essence.com/celebrity/20-celebs-who-graduated-hbcus/.
- Johnson, Ronald A. “Opinion | Why Historically Black Colleges Matter.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 10 Oct. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/10/10/why-historically-black-colleges-matter/?utm_term=.0e7d9030612b.
- “What HBCUs Are and Why They’re Still Important Today.” Affordable, www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/hbcu-history-and-modern-importance/.
- “Why HBCUs Still Matter|UNCF.” United Negro College Fund, www.uncf.org/blog/entry/why-hbcus-still-matter.
