Minority Serving Institutions and the American Education System

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

HBCUs were originally created to educate and uplift African Americans to the same levels of success and their other racial counterparts. The institutions were created to afford all African-American students, the same chance and opportunities to reach academic and social success. They were created in times within history, when African Americans could not enroll in traditionally “white” post-secondary institutions. Currently, there are 105 diverse HBCUs (insert source for information). Each institution has distinct missions and rich legacies. They vary in size, enrollment, financial creditability and stability, curriculum and degree programming as well as, operational effectiveness (Hibel, n.d.). HBCUs serve some students who would not normally be accepted into other institutions because of their academic and socio-economic status.

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

The United States of America often forgets that historically black colleges and universities were created out of necessity. It has only been a couple of decades since African Americans have been allowed to get degrees from predominantly white institutions. Millions of African Americans have given their blood, sweat, and tears in hopes of gaining basic rights like education to their descendants. America has come a long way within the past fifty years but there is still a disconnect when it comes to believing what the average African American can accomplish as an individual. When it comes to historically black colleges and universities there is still a stigma that the education is less rigorous and

“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.

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

Marybeth Gasman and Ufuoma Abiola’s article Colorism Within the Historically Black Colleges and Universities it investigates the significant of color prejudice at HBCUs. This article examines the origins, manifestations and damaging results of colorism on black college campuses. In this article the authors are trying to find a way to solve the problem of colorism at HBCUs and create an environment where students can be success regardless of whether they are dark skin or light skin. After they do this they offer recommendations for future research.

Another major predicament that plays a large role in the amount of African Americans that do not receive a higher education is once they get to college, they do not have a typical or enjoyable experience once there. In today’s society, it is hard to imagine that there is still racism and segregation in schools and colleges today but the reality is, it still does very much exist. This is especially true when black students attend predominantly white universities. Even though most colleges promote themselves by talking about how diverse their

HBCUs are more sensitive to the various cultures and encourage students to associate and learn about the different nationalities and cultures. HBCUs faculty and administration tends to offer more encouragement and support for students having difficulty; they help these students to reach their full academic potential. “In 1992, Walter Allen reported that black students who attend HBCUs have better academic performance, greater social involvement, and higher occupational aspirations than black students who attend PWIs. On black campuses students emphasize feelings of engagement, extensive support, acceptance, encouragement, and connection. Allen also found that HBCUs communicate to black students that it is safe to take the risks associated with intellectual growth and

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.

African American students enrolling in HBCUs experience better outcomes such as general satisfaction with their experience, higher grade, psychological adjustments, etc than those African American students enrolling in PWIs while Whites attending PWIs experience better outcomes such as higher grade, psychological adjustments than those white students attending in HBCUs. African American students found more comfortable and friendly environment at HBCUs while White students found more comfortable and friendly environment at PWIs. Students attending in HBCUs seems to be more satisfied with college experience because of their involvement on Colleges/Universities compared to those students attending in PWIs. African American students attending HBCUs wanted just to complete their degree as compared to students attending PWIs. White students wanted to read more as compared to African American students. In the context of educating African Americans in Specific field, HBCUs became more successful in providing access and retaining students through graduation compared to PWIs. Students attending HBCU has outcomes like tutoring other students, higher GPAs, gradating with honors, and

“There is still some debate about whether racially identified higher education is necessary or desirable. But [over] 100 schools exist, and the basic question is, can they compete?” According to the article, “Can HBCUs Compete?” College students today do not educate themselves on the history and legacy that Historically Black Colleges and Universities hold. Normally, they attend an HBCU because of the Black culture that it will teach them, the many other college students who will come from similar backgrounds, and even the parties. When they actually get to an HBCU and experience it first-hand they learn that it is not a right fit for them; it might be because the lack of

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 purpose of this paper is to argue based on the founding principles for their establishment, HBCUs hold no educational justification to continue in the midst of the twenty-first century. Frist, the paper will cover a brief historical context around the founding principles of HBCUs. Next, legislation that allowed them to thrive and maintained existence will be presented. To conclude, implications for HBCUs and potential next steps will be presented. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were an instrumental educational piece for African American during the 19th and 20th century, they are not longer relevant in the 21st century

HBCUs can at earliest be dated back to before the Civil War, when the majority of colleges wouldn’t admit African American students on the premise of their race alone These schools were created specifically for the education of African Americans due to the fact that while some states had educational facilities open to all in the North and West, most of the South had segregated systems that forbade the admittance of African Americans. In 1890, the Agricultural College Act was passed, requiring segregated states to create a separate land grant