HBCU vs. White Schools

[Dexter]

Now I know that some of you will be very uncomfortable with this topic but I want to know...Which do you think is better for black people Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCU for those who don't know) or White schools?

[Ideal08]

I think that it depends on the person's background. I think that if you went to school with white people growing up, it would be good for you to attend an HBCU.

On the other hand, if you grew up going to school with all black people, I think it would benefit you to go to a white school. That's how I made my decision, and I'm happy with it. Now, while I was there, I was wishing for an HBCU. But now that it's all said and done, I'm happy with my choice. You learn INTIMATELY about white people and how they can be sometimes. It's HARD if it's not something that you're used to, but it's a heck of a preparation for the world. It also helps you to know that not ALL white people are bad. That's what my father had me thinking. Thanks to Wittenberg, he died knowing that what he learned growing up was wrong, they're not all bad. But I digress...

I said all that to say that your prior experiences should dictate where you go to school. If you think you can handle going to an all black high school, and an all black college and still hang with the culture shock, that's cool. I don't think I could've handled it, at least not the way I handled it in college. There's not as much bureaucracy, politics, and red tape on campus as there is in life, you know what I'm sayin'? However, if you went to school with white people all your life, i just think that you NEED to go to a Black school. People end up CONFUSED and NAIVE.

Just my .08 . . .

[Dexter]

Let me start by saying that I've been to both. Morgan State University and University of California Berkeley for Grad school. There is no place like a black school. Black schools have more school spirit as a whole. Because of the racial struggle that blacks endured, HBCU's have a "WE ARE FAMILY" atmosphere because of their heritage and tradition. Example-Cal's homecoming was just the regular student body and some university staff. At Morgan's homecoming there were people there from the class of 1942/ In some cases four and five generations of family alumni. There were bands and parties that were for all people.

[mccoyred]

While I attended a prestigious PWI for undergrad, I am considering the same school as well as a prestigious HBCU with a top-notch program for grad school. I attended a magnet high school where people from all over the city enrolled so it was not clearly any majority.

However, a cousin of mine who lived and attended grade school (incl high school) in the suburbs got a rude awakening at college. She went from a lily white suburban high school in the north to a land grant HBCU in the south; her entire first year, she suffered from anxiety attacks. She eventually graduated with honors but she still has issues.

Originally posted by Ideal08
I think that it depends on the person's background. I think that if you went to school with white people growing up, it would be good for you to attend an HBCU.

I said all that to say that your prior experiences should dictate where you go to school. If you think you can handle going to an all black high school, and an all black college and still hang with the culture shock, that's cool. I don't think I could've handled it, at least not the way I handled it in college. There's not as much bureaucracy, politics, and red tape on campus as there is in life, you know what I'm sayin'? However, if you went to school with white people all your life, i just think that you NEED to go to a Black school. People end up CONFUSED and NAIVE.

Just my .08 . . .

[Steeltrap]

The only reason why I didn't go to an HBCU was because of my own immaturity back in 1982. I went to a mixed HS, by the way.
I was a 17-year-old who was extremely attached to my parents, especially my mother. I couldn't see moving to D.C. or the Atl at that time, lol. I eventually moved to the South for four years, but I was 25 when I moved.

Soror Ideal, I also see your point about growing up in a predominantly white environment and how a HBCU would help. But I also think that the parents should make an effort to ensure the child's connectedness before he/she goes to college. A child shouldn't wait until 17,18 years of age before exposure...

[Dexter]

Mycrored,

Did you got to school in B-more? I went to Morgan. Why didn't You think of Morgan?

[Dexter]

Originally posted by Steeltrap


Soror Ideal, I also see your point about growing up in a predominantly white environment and how a HBCU would help. But I also think that the parents should make an effort to ensure the child's connectedness before he/she goes to college. A child shouldn't wait until 17,18 years of age before exposure...

I feel you on that.

[mccoyred]

I am!! I attended Johns Hopkins for undergrad. My choice is between Hopkins and Morgan for my MBA program.

Originally posted by Dexter
Mycrored,

Did you got to school in B-more? I went to Morgan. Why didn't You think of Morgan?

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by Dexter
Now I know that some of you will be very uncomfortable with this topic but I want to know...Which do you think is better for black people Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCU for those who don't know) or White schools?

To answer you question plain and simple:
ANY school where one can receive his or her degree, get a job, and NOT have to DEPEND on OTHERS to "take care" of them.

PERIOD!

[kiml122]

I went to an all black grade school. My high school was about 65% white with the rest being black, hispanic, and asian. My last year of high school I lived in an all white neighborhood. When I was thinking about colleges my mom was trying to get me to attend an HBCU. Both my parents attended an HBCU but they grew up in the south so I figured that is really all they had.

At the time when I was making my choice, I didn't see the point in attending an HBCU because the world was not "all" black. I thought that in itself was unrealistic. Well I made my chocie and I went to the Univ of Pittsburgh. I got a good education, and made some life long friends, but when I talk to some of my friends who graduated from an HBCU, they have a totally different experience. They talk about a closeness with teachers and friends that I can't even relate to. Hell even greek life is much different at an HBCU that a PWI.

I have never been back to my school for homecoming since I left, but my mom who graduated from NC A&T goes to her reunions, her CIAA games, and everything else every year. I know it's not about homecomings, but, while I was in school, we road tripped down to the ATL for Morehouses homecoming, needless to say I was totally blown away. This was a homecoming that I could not even start to relate to.

If I had to do it all over again, I still can't say for sure that I would go to an HBCU, but I think I lean more towards going to one now than not.

[CrimsonTide4]

Ideal and I went to the same schools aaaaaalllllll our life. Hey girl, we have to go to the same grad school too!!

Anyway as she previously stated, we went to an ALL BLACK school system with maybe 10 whites in the whole district.

I value that experience so much. A GREAT DEAL!! I loved it!! We had SPIRIT even when we lost.

I chose Wittenberg for several reasons. Again Ideal touched on one. The world is largely white. Well let me clarify, the professional working world is. I wanted to know what it was like to be UP CLOSE and PERSONAL. I chose Wittenberg because it was the BEST of the BEST for what I looked at. I liked the small numbers and the close interaction with professors.

I only looked at Alabama A&M as far as applying and that is only because this fiiiiine boy from my high school was going there and he dropped out after a couple of babies. I remember saying I was going to go HOWARD or Spelman but I did not.

I told yall a whole just to say this. As a future parent one daaaay, I am going to insure that my child knows WHO he/she is as a BLACK PERSON. I want my child to be mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally fit. I am going to surround my child with BLACK folks but also teach them to interact with whites.

Ultimately I agree with others who stated that EDUCATION is about empowerment. No matter where you go, it is up to you to take advantage of the opportunities available at the institution of higher learning.

What needs to happen is that HBCUs need more alumni support financially. I think back on my college years and the threatened closing of Central STate. Also there needs to be improvement in the percentage of students who graduate in 4 years. The numbers are frighteningly low.

I agree with you Dexter, HBCUs have some WONDERFUL HOMECOMINGS and BANDS and stuff.

IF YOU ARE BLACK and have a COLLEGE DEGREE, APPLAUD YOURSELF!! There are too many others who are not in the position we are. Take that degree and enact POSITIVE CHANGE!!

[mccoyred]

Soror CT4, I agree with several of your points. However, your point about having A degree is the most poignant. We have many programs designed to get our young people to college but VERY FEW designed to help keep them there.

I was almost one of those statistics; I wanted to drop out in my senior year because of several academic and personal issues. Thanks to a very close family friend and the threat from my parents of cutting off my cash flow, I finished my program but a semester late. I am SO glad I decided to finish because I really don't think I would/could have went back. At that time (c. 1990), there were not a great deal of programs offering degree completion options.

However, nowadays, there are a MULTITUDE of programs designed or working adults to complete their degree. Sadly, not too many of us take advantage of these programs, most are employer supported w/ loans and tuition reimbursement.

So I say all that to say, regardless of where you started or where you end up, without your degree, it really doesn't matter.

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4

IF YOU ARE BLACK and have a COLLEGE DEGREE, APPLAUD YOURSELF!! There are too many others who are not in the position we are. Take that degree and enact POSITIVE CHANGE!!

[AKAtude]

Personally, I think where you attend school plays some kind of role in whether or not you graduate. Some people choose their schools for the wrong reasons instead of trying to look at which environment best suites their personality. My brother and sister attended HBCUs, but they and my parents knew a HBCU was not for me so I was steered away early on. The college I graduated from was a perfect fit for me. I loved every minute of the experience.

Just my .08!

[The Original Ape]

I been gon a grip, so yall be patient with me.

I think it depends on the student's background, what they intend to major in, the strengths of the prospective school, the student-faculty ratio, and of course-cost. I've heard HBCUs are QUALITY oriented; whereas pw schools are quantity/quality-oriented when it comes to assignments. Regrettably, I never attended an HBCU; so I really don't know.

[DST Love]

Sorry but I know this will be long.

My boyfriend and I have already dicussed that our future children will be attending HBCUs, unless there is extreme circumstances for them to do otherwise. We definitely want to support our institutions. (And yes I know that a lot of the HBCUs were founded by white people but they were still opened for us at a time when we weren't accepted at "white" schools.) From speaking with people who attended non-HBCUs, I definitely can tell there is a vast difference in experience. Not saying one better than the other, just vastly different.

I definitely had a closeness with all of my professors (white, black, middle-eastern, etc.) that I'm sure I wouldn't have had at the same level at a non-HBCU. No matter my professors' nationality, I liked how they always talked about how "we" had to be a step above everyone else. They kept it real. I believe they made us work harder so that we would be in a position to better compete. My stupid friend (see thread 'Black Think Tank') said that it seemed like HBCUs baby people and that isn't good. Well I don't know about anyone else, but if I'm going to pay for my child's or my own education, then I would rather someone care about me or my child then just see me or them as a number in classroom and a part of their salary. And my professors at Clark Atlanta University definitely treated me better than that.

My senior year, I started slacking in one of my accounting classes. That professor (of Middle-eastern descent) called me out in front of the class. He said that it wasn't like me to be doing so bad. He told me to come to his office after class. I said, "dang, you didn't have to bust me out". But in his office, the first thing he asked was if there was anything wrong personally. He then asked if I was having problems with the class and if there was anything that he could do to help me better understand, if so. At the time I was taking a full load and he told me to slow down and try not to let anything stress me out too much. It made me realize how much our professors really want us to be on the ball but that they actually care as well. I had a lot of teachers trying to hook me up with interships or at least make sure I was trying to get some (which I did). And this is just one of many examples of our professors caring about the students. (Disclaimer: Not that every teacher cared about every student but if you appeared to care about your own future or showed potential, then the professors would go above and beyond to assist you.)

Now as far as classes, my English and history classes were off the hook. We did the same type of work as non-HBCUs (ie critical analysis papers, essays, research, etc.) but we did them about lesser known Black authors, poets and people in history (and not just MLK or other well discussed Black people).

The social side: amazing. I always think of our basketball games. Let's say we'd be playing Morris Brown or Morehouse and either CAU band or the other school's band would be playing the theme to "Good Times" and the whole crowd would be loudly singing along. Or the bands would play some new OutKast cut. Or if the bands weren't playing, then we would have a DJ playing at time outs. I mean, Good Times, DJs, etc. I felt right at home.

Now my Dad just loved the dorm situation my freshmen year. As freshmen, you had a curfew of midnight [although you could some time find your way around it, unless there was a surprise dorm meeting at midnight and you weren't there ]. I know most college people wouldn't like that. But it wasn't that bad and sometimes it felt good to know people (RM, RA, institution) cared about you.

I went to elementary and high school with a nice amount of Blacks (not a majority but a large amount) but nothing was better than the atmosphere at an HBCU. My stupid friend's Dad (who constantly put down HBCUs although he supported his daughter applying to one but she was not accepted) said that he wanted his daughter to go to a school with all races as if we lived in an all Black town or something . I'm sorry but that is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Why? Because the rest of the world doesn't cease existing just because you're in college. Meaning, you may see mostly us on campus and in the classroom but that's only one part of your life. You still have to work be it in the summer or after class, go to shopping malls and grocery stores, and do any other day-to-day activities that doesn't just involve Black people. College is like home. You can choose to be surrounded by the type of people who make you feel most comfortable and those you would choose in your personal life but you still deal with others in the other daily parts of your life.

(Disclaimer: I know that one can have just as good a time or good education or anything else at a non-HBCU as an HBCU. This is just my experience.)