Stereotyping HBCU's

[ziasha07]

Originally Posted by Wonderful1908

Amen! I am completing my masters at my 2nd SWAC school and about to enroll at a third SWAC school to begin my doctorate program! 3 schools all operating the same!

I've learned alot already just calling up the three schools I applied to every other day to check up on my paperwork. It paid off too. I got accepted to all three and I learned people skills.

[Wonderful1908]

Originally Posted by ziasha07

I've learned alot already just calling up the three schools I applied to every other day to check up on my paperwork. It paid off too. I got accepted to all three and I learned people skills.

Just stay on top of your paper work and you will be okay well even if you stay on top of your paper work you still may have some issues.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by Wonderful1908

Just stay on top of your paper work and you will be okay well even if you stay on top of your paper work you still may have some issues.

I stayed on top of my paperwork all 4 years and didn't have nearly as many problems as my friends, however my classes were dropped and my loan payment was lost at least one time each. Then, there was the wonderful experience of being told I couldn't graduate because I had 4, count 'em, 4 INCOMPLETES. I looked that woman straight in her face and said, "With all due respect, ma'am, THE DEVIL IS A LIAR." She did the face at me, but I was so nice about it, she couldn't help but laugh. Turns out my name had somehow been electronically slapped on someone else's transcript.


I applied only to HBCUs and my parents were thrilled. They were sad that I was going to have to go so far away--my dad wanted me to go to UC Berkeley or Davis so that they could visit me, but I wanted to see some black people! Aside from my family and my church, I never had the opportunity to learn about my own culture (they sure weren't teaching it in school) and interact with people who looked like me. I craved that HBCU experience because, even though my friends were great, we could never really bond on that level. I wanted to be around people who shared my views and experiences, which (admittedly) were minimal. I never knew what it was like to live in a close-knit community who understood each others' struggles and triumphs because we all share the same history. I wanted that more than anything else. At first, it was tough. I wasn't accepted by my peers: many felt that, because of where I'd grown up, I "talked too white" and "acted too white" to be at their school. A surprising number of people told me to "go back with all the other white people." I almost withdrew 2 months into freshman year! But, my mom refused to bring me home; I had to stay where I wanted to be no matter who said what. And I found A LOT of students who'd come from neighborhoods like mine and were having the same things said to them. Those were my first friends that I made and I definitely made more. I got the experience that I was looking for, in spite of those few hateful people trying to steal my joy. And I don't regret it because you find those types of people at every school, no matter what color the majority is. Now that I've graduated, I'm a little sad to leave that community behind, but I'm definitely more secure in my identity now that my history isn't a mystery. I can maintain that no matter what environment I'm in. I'm glad this thread was bumped because I think we younguns feel better being reminded that this stuff is nothing new!

[ageniuschild]

Originally Posted by Wonderful1908

Just stay on top of your paper work and you will be okay well even if you stay on top of your paper work you still may have some issues.

yes indeed....attending an HBCU forced me to stay on top of my paperwork and document...document...document. i take that skill with me to this very day. my coworker's and supervisors tease me and say..."if ageniuschild doesn't have it filed away in her office, it doesn't exist"

[Senusret I]

It's disappointing how so called "white" schools get stereotyped in reaction to HBCU stereotyping.

[ageniuschild]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

It's disappointing how so called "white" schools get stereotyped in reaction to HBCU stereotyping.

true...two wrongs don't make a right. it's only been recently that i've noticed and experienced the stereotyping of Black PWI alum by Black HBCU alum. When I was in school a lot of the Black students from the local PWI ended up hanging out on our campus and there was no tension or issues at hand. We know and realize that we are here for the same thing....to graduate, whether you do it at UVA or VUU is really not important.

Personally, I'm happy when any Black person gets accepted and matriculates from any college or university.

I think the only thing that disturbs me more than anything are the Black people that have the "white is right" mentality in regards to these institutions...whether they are alums of PWIs or may have heard through the grapevine of isolated incidents that occured at HBCUs. All universities have their fair share of problems when you really look at it.