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Originally posted by PhiMuAmberkins
I know this is kind of off the subject, but does anyone else feel kinda...uncomfortable....with the idea of HBCUs? I mean, everyone would through a huge civil rights fit if there were HWCUs. The whole idea just seems a little old-timey, and I think people and colleges shouldn't really be classified by their race. That's just me...please don't get angry!
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Historically Black Colleges and Universities were founded to educate black people during a time when their access to higher education was extremely limited.
They continue to exist as a destination for many high achieving students. Some HBCUs have a mission of educating all students who want an education (open admissions) while others maintain rigorous admissions standards. I believe that Howard University, for example, attractes the greatest amount of African American National Merit Scholars. (Or used to at some not too distant point in the past.)
All of them serve as centers of black culture and traditions,some of them quite literally with their archives and Africana studies departments.
The good thing about your discomfort is that you don't have to attend an HBCU or ever send your children there, yet they can still exist to serve the thousands of students (black, white, and other) who choose to attend them.
Although I didn't attend an HBCU, I respect that they are mostly fine institutions that provide quality educations to those who might not feel comfortable in a mainstream academic setting, who might not have that door open to them for economic or social reasons, or who simply want an experience that is tailored to African American experiences.