HBCUs Are They Still Relevant Today?
“Are you sure you will get the quality of education you need by attending that school?”
This was one of the insinuations made when I informed my friends of my decision to transfer to Oakwood College (now University), an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) institution. That decision changed my life. It was the missing ingredient in my initial higher education experience. At a place called Oakwood, I was introduced to an educational community that was both spiritual and nurturing, and where faculty members expected me to achieve. For a young Black male in need of direction, a sense of identity and purpose, Oakwood College was an academic oasis providing the motivational spark I needed to face the challenges of life after college. At Oakwood I was accepted for who I was without some of the negative educational labels that had accompanied my educational journey.
America has made great strides in moving toward racial equality. This is evident in the election of the country’s first African-American president, Barack Obama. However, America on a whole has not achieved the lofty ideals of equal access for key areas within society that are pivotal for healthy individual and community development. Specifically, social and economic inequity between Black and White America continues to be a major problem. Bilchik’s extensive review of the challenges of children and youth of color living in America reports that Blacks consistently have higher rates of inequities when compared to Whites. People of color are more likely to live in poverty, drop out of school, be unemployed, live in poor families, have higher rates of juvenile delinquency and higher rates of foster care admissions.1
So what do these social challenges have to do with HCBUs? It’s simple: education plays a critical role in addressing and overcoming these social setbacks. Until the civil rights movement and U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, Blacks were systematically denied access to higher education in America.2 Today HBCUs represent 3 percent of America’s higher education institutions; however, they graduate almost 20 percent of African-Americans who hold an undergraduate degree.3 HBCUs provide a constructive learning environment for identity awareness, social and educational development that leads to empowerment, all within a climate of full acceptance. It is this structure that allows HBCUs to, perhaps, be the most relevant method of successfully matriculating Black youth within higher education. Research shows that a sound education is conveniently accompanied with positive attitudinal and behavioral changes that can collectively lead to positive social change; this provides a legacy of hope for future generations.4
Are HBCUs Still Needed in the “New” America?
The educational climate in America has changed significantly as compared to the segregationist era of the past. Some would argue that HBCUs are no longer necessary because they continue to perpetrate feelings of racism, lack ethnic and cultural diversity, and uphold the notion that only Blacks can educate Blacks. In an effort to acquire a broad understanding of the relevancy of HBCU institutions, Frank Hale, Ph.D., conducted a comprehensive review of the historical, cultural, educational, and social benefits of HBCU institutions across America. Highlights of his research follow:
• Self-esteem—“HBCU institutions attempt to facilitate successes by enriching each student through activities that provide avenues for success (i.e., athletics, choirs, clubs, etc.).”5
• Individual Interaction—“The presence of administrators, faculty, staff, and others who take the time to interact with the student in unstructured events—many HBCU graduates related interactions that opened their eyes to what they were capable of.”6
• Emotional Support—HBCUs possess an inherent family environment providing emotional and social support, especially for those who have underperformed during their high school years.
• Leadership Development—Developing African-American leaders who possess a sense of identity and self-awareness.
• Quality Education—Allen’s study found that “HBCUs communicate to Black students that it is safe to take the risks associated with intellectual growth and development.”7
• Graduation Rates—HBCUs comprise only three percent of the nation’s 3,688 institutions of higher learning. The 105 HBCUs are responsible for producing approximately 23 percent of all bachelor’s degrees, 13 percent of all master’s degrees, and 20 percent of all first professional degrees earned by African-Americans annually.”8
HBCUs Still vitally necessary for our future
God used Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. In the same manner, God in His wisdom selected visionary White and Black religious and social leaders who overcame segregationist barriers in America and paved the way for Blacks to access higher education through the development of HBCUs. Are HBCUs still needed in America? Definitely! These HBCU institutions play a pivotal role in the development of Black professionals and serve as an educational pool for unlimited contributions that Blacks have made and continue to make in the diverse world in which we live.
GEORGE ASHLEY, PH.D., currently serves as chair of the Social Work Department at Oakwood University, Huntsville, Alabama.
References
1Bilchik, S. (2008). Reclaiming Children and Youth, Is Racial and Ethnic Justice Possible in Juvenile Justice, vol. 17, pp. 19-23.
2Martin, W. (1998). Brown v. Board of Education. Bedford/St. Martins: Boston.
3How Black Colleges Empower Black Students, Frank W. Hale, Jr. (2006), Stylus Publishing.
4Burke, L. & Vivian, J. (2001). Journal of Correctional Education. “The Effect of College Programming on Recidivism Rates at the Hampton County House of Correction: A Five-Year Study,” vol. 62, pp. 160-162.
5Ibid., p. 44.
6Ibid., p. 45.
7Allen, W. (1992). Harvard Educational Review. “The Color of Success: African-American College Student Outcomes at Predominantly White and Historically Black Colleges,” vol. 6 (2), pp. 26-44.
8http://uncf.org/members/aboutHBCU.asp. (Accessed 7/14/09)
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