Currently, I am a student at Texas Southern University, which is an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) and more often times than not, I find myself defending the value of my school in comparison to schools across the country. This is the battle that many students who choose to attend HBCUs over PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) have to face because there is a number of people, especially black people, who continuously look down on Historically Black Colleges. Especially in the wake of Wendy Williams' recent comments about HBCUs, it is apparent that there are many individuals who do not see the value in these schools. Many times the arguments against our schools are completely false and are based off negative stereotypes about black people.
“My degree from a PWI is worth more than your degree from an HBCU.”
“I went to a PWI for diversity.”
“Going to an HBCU is like going to high school twice.”
“People who attend HBCUs couldn’t get accepted into a PWI.”
“HBCUs are easy to get into.”
“You have more opportunities at *insert PWI* than at an HBCU.”
“I [chose a PWI] want a real-world experience.”
Would you believe me if I told you that all of these are direct quotes that I’ve heard from black people, and worse, black people that I know personally?
The HBCU/PWI debate really boils down to the fact that many blacks at PWIs don’t value black spaces, i.e. HBCUs, but to truly understand HBCUs and their direct correlation to black spaces, one must understand the institutions themselves.
The majority of Historically Black Colleges and Universities were birthed out of the direct and blatant disregard for black students seeking higher education. Let’s take Texas Southern University for example. TSU started as the Houston Colored Junior College in March of 1927. After Herman Marion Sweatt was denied admission to the University of Texas law school solely based of the fact that he was a black man. From his lawsuit, the creation of Texas Southern University was created. (This is the short story of it all.) This case was very similar for many Historically Black Colleges across the country.
This will be a part of a series that breaks down some of the common myths people have about HBCUs.
1. “HBCUs lack diversity.”
Many of those who argue against going to HBCUs state that they went to their respective PWI for “diversity.” This argument does two things. One it assumes that only black people attend HBCUs and two it denotes the fact that black people can be diverse.
Being black is not just being African-American. There are Afro-Latinos, Afro-Caribbeans, and the Australian Aborigines, just to name a few. There are more affluent blacks and middle class blacks. Diversity is not limited to race and ethnicity, so the assumption that diversity boils down to those two is a complete falsehood. A great number of PWIs are just that, Predominately White Universities that scream that they are diverse but the majority of the student populations are…white. Your success in society is not measured by how many white people you surround yourself with. Which leads me to my next point.
2. “HBCUs lack real world experience.”
First off, what is “real world experience?”
Since when does surrounding oneself around white people give real world experience?
Since when does surrounding oneself around white people become the key to success?
Exactly. The logic is faulty.
White America tells you that white is right and that black holds no weight. There is literally no merited proof that HBCUs can’t give you any “real world experience.” Is the thought that “If I go to a PWI then I know how to work with white people like those I went to college with?
We can almost go as far as to entertain the thought: If there are more college educated blacks in America who go back to the days of the Black Wall Street, own more businesses, hold more executive board positions for large companies, and hold more congressional seats: The face of America will be one that is representative of the world that we live in (more minorities).
But if schools offer you programs that directly give experience and knowledge on the career in which you wish to pursue, tell me again how HBCUs lack “real world experience?"
What we must realize is that many arguments meant to discredit Historically Black Institutions are not even arguments at all, but merely empty statements fueled by all powerful “white thought.”
