Black Colleges Challenges

Thesis: HBCU’s are necessary for the future of democratic America because they better prepare African American students as individuals and for the workforce.

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.

For almost two hundred years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs have played a pivotal role in the education of African-American people, and negro people internationally. These schools have provided the majority of black college graduates at the Graduate and Post-Graduate level; schools such as Hampton University, Morehouse University, Spellman University and Howard University are four universities at the forefront of the advanced education of blacks. For sometime there has been a discussion on whether or not these institutes should remain in existence or if they are just another form of racism. There were also concerning the quality of education provided at these institutions. In my opinion, from the evidence provided

The new generation of upcoming college scholars have been appearing to have a lot of debate over the criteria of an HBCU not being corresponding to a PWI. It is time to understand and be able to get involved with the debate about Historically Black College/University (HBCU) versus Predominantly White Institution (PWI). To proceed it is best to start with the definition of these terms because everyone needs to have knowledge when it comes to this subject. This subject also needs to be more than just a debate between students attending HBCUs and African Americans at PWIs. Quite shockingly, there are many out there that do not know what an HBCU is and if they do they think of these “black schools” as a form of racism. When it boils down to HBCU’s

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964. As amended by The Higher Education Act of 1965, a part B institution refers to any “Historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation.” Though in 1837 Cheyne University of Pennsylvania and 1854 Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) had been established for Black education, Black Colleges and Universities became recognized by the United States Government in the 1890’s.

The first main point the authors’ introduce is to recognize black males’ lived experiences. Black males have an experience unique to just them. Black men’s experiences of racism impact their education. They even face consequences for pursuing education. Those consequences could be social, educational, and economic. To understand these key issues, you must first look at the past. Black men have always had to overcome great obstacles. Low literacy, limited employment, high incarceration rates, have predisposed many black men to never being able to escape poverty. Further, being impoverished means a less chance that these men will go into higher education. Higher education is so expensive these days, and the underfunding of financial aid and other

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, have played an important role in enriching the lives of not just African Americans, but our entire country.”(Keller) What Ric Keller states here is an opinion that outlines a compelling fact about HBCUs that along with several other significant information that may come as a surprise. Essentially, the great debate between the choice of whether an Historically Black College and University or Predominantly White Institution is more beneficial or not can become a pondering interrogation. Each acronym defines itself, Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs) were established by the means of providing an education for predominantly African American students. Whereas, Predominantly White Intuitions(PWI) serve to instruct and educated the opposite or in other words those of Caucasian descent.

Tyree had started out performing strong, but soon his grades began to fall. He transferred to Howard University and changed his major from pharmacy to journalism. Tyree criticizes his peers still attending Pittsburgh saying “Where many of my African-American peers at Pitt had downsized themselves to just ‘getting along,’ ‘passing the grade’ and ‘rubbing shoulders’ with White America, I still wanted to compete to be the best.” Tyree argues that unlike students at PWIs, students at HBCUs have a more competitive nature because they are focused on academics and do not settle for just a passing grade. He also argues that although people may work just as hard at a PWI as they would at an HBCU, they have more opportunities to succeed, and become better leaders. The faculty at HBCUs provides the students with support they need to perform at a high level. This support results in students interacting with other peers, and also increased GPAs. Also, students at HBCUs are more likely to graduate and have more desire to go on and fulfil a career. Student graduation rates are high considering HBCUs only comprise 2 percent of colleges in the United States. 22.5 percent of all bachelor’s degrees, 11.9 percent of all master’s and 18.9 percent of all professional degrees received by African-Americans are from HBCUs. Since eighty percent of African Americans in college attend PWIs, it

The entire HBCU experience is entirely different than that of other public or private colleges that are predominantly white. While HBCUs represent only 3% of the nation’s institutions of higher learning they enroll 16% of African Americans at the under-graduate level and award nearly one-fifth of

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, have played an important role in enriching the lives of not just African Americans, but our entire country.”(Keller) What Ric Keller states here is an opinion that outlines a compelling fact about HBCUs that along with several other significant information that may come as a surprise. Essentially, the great debate between the choice of whether a Historically Black College and University or Predominantly White Institution is more beneficial or not can become a pondering interrogation. Each acronym defines itself, Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs) were established by the means of providing an education for predominantly African American students. Whereas, Predominantly White Intuitions(PWI) serve to instruct and educated the opposite or in other words those of Caucasian descent.

For almost two hundred years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs have played a pivotal role in the education of African-American people, and negro people internationally. These schools have provided the majority of black college graduates at the Graduate and Post-Graduate level; schools such as Hampton University, Morehouse University, Spellman University and Howard University are four universities at the forefront of the advanced education of blacks. For sometime there has been a discussion on whether or not these institutes should remain in existence or if they are just another form of racism. There were also concerning the quality of education provided at these institutions. In my opinion, from the evidence provided

Attending a Historically Black College and University is something I have never imagined, by reason of living in a world where competition is a standard. Growing up during my childlike years I have attended schools where instructors would not take the time to avail you because they are brought under the impression that everyone is on that same level of knowledge. All my life I was stationed in an educational environment where the majority of students were predominantly white. Therefore, making an effort to be driven has guided me where I am today since contention was at an all-time high. At first, I wanted to attend a predominantly white institution as I formulated my college choice. I have always had to compete against everybody, and I knew that my success would derive from my emulation. Virginia Union University was a college I decided on instead because I sought to be in an environment surrounded by people, who are uplifting and exhilarating,

Albritton Gives readers a brief history of historic higher educational black Institutions better know as (HBCUs) in this publication . Albritton also explains and includes how and why (HBCUs) were established. Albritton explains financing sources and needs after some time, and an examination of statements of purpose. Albritton also considers the pertinence of (HBCUs) here in the present twenty-first century setting. Albritton makes a contention that the instructive open doors HBCUs offer keep on being firmly required in the contemporary U.S. financial and political

“Double consciousness describes the individual sensation of feeling as though your identity is divided into several parts, making it impossible to have one unified identity”(Understanding W.E.B DuBois, n.d.). This proposal was brought forth by W.E.B Bois. He believed that African American’s were struggling with these repressed feelings of not knowing who they are; they could not combine their African background with their now developed American identity. This concept was developed in 1903, but is still very relevant today; one may be able to relate the relevance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to this theory/ conclusion. At a Historically Black College or University, an individual has the ability to further their education. I decide to attend Virginia Union University to gain a better understanding of my history, to bond with others within the black community, and to profit from the HBCU experience.

Today's education is often viewed as failing in its goal of educating students, especially those students characterized as minorities, including African American, Hispanic, and Appalachian students (Quiroz, 1999). Among the minority groups mentioned, African American males are affected most adversely. Research has shown that when Black male students are compared to other students by gender and race they consistently rank lowest in academic achievement (Ogbu, 2003), have the worst attendance record (Voelkle, 1999), are suspended and expelled the most often (Raffaele Mendez, 2003; Staples, 1982), are most likely to drop out of school, and most often fail to graduate from high school or to earn a GED (Pinkney, 2000; Roderick, 2003).