Black colleges are as vital today as ever...
 

Black colleges are as vital today as ever...

By Julianne Malveaux

I recently became president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C. It is one of 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and one of only two focused on the educational possibilities and aspirations of African-American women. I like to describe Bennett as an oasis where African-American women are educated and celebrated.

But it takes money to educate and celebrate.

Like most HBCUs, my school is fiscally fragile. When our computer server went down recently, estimates to fix it veered into the five figures. Ouch! To pay for it, I had to decide what other maintenance had to be deferred.

To be sure, many small colleges have fiscal challenges that come with small endowments and limited support. But the challenges at HBCUs are especially acute. In just the past decade, several schools have lost accreditation or have closed.

There will be no doors shut at Bennett on my watch.

I often hear the question, "Does a post-integration America really need HBCUs?"

1. I love Ms. Malveaux!
2. My mommy is a Bennett Belle!
3. HBCUs will always be needed (as will big schools, small schools, womens only colleges, med schools, country schools, law schools, city schools, vet schools, liberal arts schools, etc).

I'm glad this was posted. I read some of the comments and it was what I expected. there are those that see HBCUs as "Black only" colleges when in fact it is far from the truth. I've seen the conversation plenty of times "if it was a white _______" it would be considered racist. The people that make these statements know little to none of the history behind HBCUs and things that target a certain race of people.

^^^Currently I am reading "Up From Slavery" by Booker T. Washington and he is painting a very different picture of both Hampton AND Tuskegee...

And I really do not think ONLY caucasian folks are saying these things. There are quite a few negroes that say these things too, if not worse...

I believe that HBCUs are still important - but only if they adequately prepare students for graduate education and/or global workplace performance.

Within Dr. Malveaux's US News and World Report Article:

it is also the students' job to take advantage of all their school offers them. this stands with HBCUs as well as other colleges + universities.

105 wait.....has the number of HBCU's dropped and I missed it? I thought it was 114




Proud Morgan State University Alumni!!!

Thanks for posting that article Soror! My dad wanted me to go to Bennett, but I ended up where I belonged... the Real HU. :D

Going to a black college was the best possible choice for me. I grew up in a very "diverse" area in California... lots of Latinos, Asians, Whites, and more than a few Blacks. I remember worrying about the lack of diversity at a black school, but within a week, I realized I couldn't have been more wrong.

People who don't see the current need for HBCUs are either ignorant (and need to be enlightened), or they don't want to see it.