1890 Land-Grant Universities: Video Analysis

In each year from 1998 through 2000 there was a 1%-point decline in the graduation rate for black men. But for the past 4 years the graduation rate for black men increase by a 1% point and now stand at a 35%. This year the college graduation rate for black women rose by one percentage point to 46%. With many years of hard work African American thrive for a better education ignoring the statistic that states that 9.6% of African American would drop out of high school. African American prove that they can achieve and will achieve.

Minority serving institutions have been an integral part of the education system in the United States since before the Civil War (LeMelle, 2002). Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have, for much of their existence, been criticized for the level of academic rigor, political context, and their social agenda have created controversy for generations. With that being said, HBCUs hold a valuable place in the landscape of US higher education institutions. The culture, history, and perspective that is taught and shared are unparalleled and cannot be replicated at a predominately white institution (PWI).

To me, this video was really inspiring and encouraging. I agree with what Meg Jay had to say and am currently working on bettering myself and my future. It is hard to make a lot of life choices right out of high school and

African American education systems and colleges faced many issues systematically and socially. The process of integrating colleges was a process faced with opposition because the idea that higher education was made for strictly for white upper-class men was still the underlying ideal. While equal opportunity was promoted in the light, behind the scenes, systematically money, policy, procedure hindered black education and equal opportunity. Realizing this injustice, black students sought to find their own solutions to social justice issues happening not only within higher education but their communities while leading by example.

It was only a year ago when I was faced with making a very important decision that would affect me for the rest of my life. It was time for me to choose an institution of higher learning to continue my studies that would eventually lead me to my career. My decision wasn’t simply which university or college to choose, but as a young black student, whether to choose a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) or a Predominately White Institution (PWI). This would take me on an insightful journey and I would make my decision after discussing the pros and cons of both institutions and through interactions with students, faculty and staff. Before too long

Gregory, Perry and Rankin also explains that In 1907, African Americans infrequently had different choices for advanced education aside from a general (HBCU) .Furthermore, Gregory, Perry and Rankin states that In 2008, HBCUs are still transcendently African American and flourishing in light of the fact that these organizations are effectively teaching and graduating African-American understudies more so than ever before. According to Gregory, Perry, and Rankin Notwithstanding and now and again ignored, HBCUs are an imperative choice for secondary school African-American understudies look into attending more so today than any other secondary institution. Lastly, Gregory, Perry and Rankin explain how (HBCUs) secondary schools offer advantages minority understudies may some way or another not get if they were to attend a non HBCU; which is why minorities and African American understudies choose to attend HBCUs solely over the option of advantages offered at these HBCUs.

Over the years there has been a significant decrease in the percentage of African American male success in higher education. Not only does this effect society as a whole, but more importantly this effects the African- American community as well. The high percentage of uneducated African- American males will result in increased crime rate, shortened life span and overall hard life. However this epidemic can be stopped by looking at the contributing factors of why there is a decrease in African-American male success in higher education and how to change it. Throughout the paper I will be addressing the issues as to why there are not more black men in higher education, by looking at the contributing factors such as environmental

The U.S. Department of Education’s Digest of Education Statistics (2010) compiles data on educational trends and statistics in the United States. According to the digest, in 2009 African Americans earned about 10 percent of all bachelor degrees awarded. Furthermore, about 20 percent of African Americans currently hold a college degree. When compared to the same rates for the white non-hispanic population, African Americans are largely lagging behind. The challenges that African Americans are facing must be met by post secondary institutions if this group is going to continue on the path of economic and career prosperity. This need is discussed in the report Minorities in Higher Education:

“Affirmative action ensures that African American students are allowed access to prestigious universities such as Harvard and Berkeley, which have long been gateways to positions of power and influence in American society” (Glazer 14).

Today, African American students are under-represented in college and universities, and the reason is the ongoing disenfranchisement of African American students. Our education system needs be more responsive and needs to pay more attention to the college preparation for these students. People of color historically have been misrepresented, exploited, silenced, and taken for granted in education research (Dillard, 2000; Stanfield, 1995), (H. Richard Milner IV, 2008).

When a person presently looks at university school systems, one never imagines the struggle to obtain such diverse campuses. With Caucasians, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans all willing and able to attend any institution, it is difficult now to envision a world where, because of one’s skin color, a person is denied university acceptance. In actuality, this world existed only fifty years ago. In a time of extreme racial discrimination, African Americans fought and struggled toward one of many goals: to integrate schools. As a pioneer in the South, a man named James Meredith took a courageous step by applying to the University of Mississippi, an all white

How would you feel if I told you that according to the most recent statistics, the nationwide college graduation rate for black students stands at an appallingly low rate of 42 percent? Whis figure is 20 percentage points below the 62 percent rate for white students.

I found this post effective and informative because of all the information in this post, also because of the picture used. The information in the post used facts on helping us learn about the struggles that Mott Hall Bridges Academy faces as a school in an under privileged community. Stories make a big impact on informing and educating us on situations like this and the fact that Brandon was able to hear stories directly from the staff and students at this school shows us its reliable information from their personal experience. So from what I read, it tells me that these students do not believe they deserve academic success because of how their community is. This picture shows me that that all it takes is one person to make a huge impact in someone's life. One person who can make you believe in yourself and lead you to a place where you never thought in a million years, could be a place where you belong. Great sources, especially the picture with Vidal, his principle, and the President. I thought it was a very powerful and inspiring post.

An intersectional reflection of my dichotomous relationship with higher education is what fuels my desire to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. As a first-generation college student, earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees profoundly altered the trajectory of my family out of years of generational poverty. As a result of embracing higher education, I possess the ability to think critically and creatively, with a passion and hunger for lifelong learning. Contrarily, the experience also left some biological, psychological, and social scarring. Macroaggressions, tokenism, and implicit bias have all contributed to the way that I now live, learn, and work in the world. While these experiences did not prevent the completion of my education, it has led others to abandon the pursuit, and certainly presents an enigma to many colleges and universities around the country eager to recruit and retain scholars that identify as Black/African-American, first-generation, and/or low socioeconomic status. The majority of my professional experience revolves around this very conundrum and the time has now come to pursue extensive and original research in this chosen field.

In recent years, the strongest failings of affirmative action have been revealed: the inability of minority students -- accepted on an affirmative action basis -- to graduate college (Ravitch, par. 7). While the United States and similar governments are trying to quell the ripples of racist and slavery-based pasts, the effectiveness of the strategies employed is being looked over. The ?social promotion? policies of affirmative action end up pushing students with inadequate grades into college where, when faced with having to make a return to remedial teaching, find that graduation is almost impossible (Ravitch, par. 11). The soul of the matter, suggested by Ravitch, exists at an adolescent level where a student?s social and/or family status affects how he or she learns. The end results of this inefficient system of balance, based on liberal society?s collective desire to have minorities catch up with the crowd, can be seen as