Today’s episode is titled hbcus a black american secret tradition this article is written by tyler bay my fellow americans now let me introduce to you for the first time your next vice president united states kamala harris kamala howard grad kamala harris is officially the first ever u.s vice
President to be elected to the position with a degree from a historically black college or university hbcu soon to be the most powerful woman in the united states harris has been very vocal about the importance of her roots at a historically black institution family is my beloved alpha kappa alpha
Our divine nine and my hbcu brothers and sisters in her book titled the truths we hold harris writes how at howard every signal told students that we could be anything that we were young gifted and black and we shouldn’t let anything get in the way of our success
Between the world and me author tana hassi coates called howard a mecca for black students in his critically acclaimed book originally founded in the late 19th century as a defense mechanism to the racist policies most universities had hbcus have blossomed into heartbeats of black culture all across the country
With 102 hbcus still going strong it’s vital that we remember their purpose and shed light on their importance now more than ever when you attend an hbcu it really is about being in an environment where everything tells you you can be whatever you choose to be hidden successes
Hbcus have been operating largely in the background to propel some of our nation’s greatest leaders and artists to the foreground hbcus have educated renowned leaders such as civil rights icons martin luther king jr and john lewis entertainment mogul oprah winfrey and black panther star chadwick both although starkly less known than many of
America’s predominantly white institutions pwis without hbcus our country would not know some of its greatest figures oprah winfrey began her studies in journalism at tennessee state university an hbcu which she’s cherished over the years even recently donating 2 million to the nashville school and its surrounding neighborhood it shows that the hbcus
Uh out there leading the way and we’re making it clear that we’re we have substance we as a community understand how important education is how vital it is sean combs also known as diddy recently contributed 1 million dollars to his alma mater howard university he tells billboard how although he didn’t graduate
From the institution it was still a crucial stepping stone for his success the only reason why i was able to chase my dreams was the empowerment that howard gave me the support that they gave me the first two years even those that briefly attended hbcus are deeply affected
Often giving back to their roots once they’ve been propelled into the success their university catapulted them into as i said earlier if some of america’s greatest black filmmakers also went to hbcus tony award-winning director and founder of atlanta theatre company true colors theater kenny leon proudly creates clark atlanta’s graduation stage
Atlanta is home to three prominent hbcus all centered in the atlanta university center in the historic west end neighborhood many of the pillars of the entertainment industry found their voice in the cultural hub of atlanta home to sibling schools morehouse college and spelman college the most famous and successful all boy
And all girl hbcus respectively and clark atlanta university at true colors we’ve always been about continuing that discussion and that dialogue about race and inclusion you know that’s very central to the to our mission after graduating from clark atlanta leon would go on to be one of the most prominent
Directors in theater in the grander entertainment industry he’s considered one of the first african americans to head a non-profit theater company in 1990 he became the artistic director of the largest private theater in the southeast atlanta’s alliance theater company although a proud alum of new york university for his master’s degree in film
Spike lee nabbed his ba from morehouse one of his soon-to-be partners in crime also obtained his degree there many fans might be surprised to know that samuel l jackson also went to morehouse college but i first stepped on campus in 1991 i was 17 ready to change the world
And i knew spelman would be a part of it its sister school spellman college proudly stands as the number one hbcu in the country often tied or battling with howard university for the spot depending on which source you ask one of its most recent and impactful alumni is democratic hero stacey abrams
Many georgians credit abrams returning georgia blue for the first time in nearly 30 years due to her rigorous and relentless efforts to stop voter suppression as seen with her fair fight action initiative there’s an entire network of hidden success stories rooted in hbcus plenty more influential figures like tony morrison wanda skies
Erica badu and taraji p henson all attended historically black universities in some capacity but it’s not the celebrities that make the vibrant culture that has thrived since before the american civil war the heart of hbcus lies within the people the everyday graduate that carries the torch while many black americans are tapped
Into this hidden world of connections and relationships spanning the country to those unaware of the invisible threads of hbcus the importance of them can go underrated the reason i chose clark atlanta university there’s no place better the networking is amazing culture hbcu and we’re in the heart of atlanta georgia and we’re the
Heart of the atlanta university center the importance of hbcus george floyd george floyd george floyd repeatedly told the officers that he could not breathe after an officer knelt on his neck in a country that often chooses racial amnesia over historical and contemporary evidence especially seen in our culture of fake
News and deceitful political leadership it’s vital possibly now more than ever to ground ourselves in truths although hbcus aren’t perfect and certainly not a fit for every black scholar they still serve the same purpose that they did over a century ago and these were going to be institutions of higher education
For black people and this is partly because many majority white institutions would not allow blacks interests pwis can often be a playground for elitist white students to prey on black and brown students who are often the stark minority everything from discrimination and violence in greek life to microaggressions about hair skin grades
And hometown or country can lead many black students to an impossible situation should black students stay in a toxic environment for the notability of a degree from a pwi or should they transfer to a college like an hvcu which may not have a name nor a program that would be as
Useful in their subject area the question for african americans has always been what is education’s purpose who controls it and what is the relationship of education to the broader aspirations of our people hbcus often don’t have the strength in arts programs are the funding and sem programs to be on par
At least on paper with notable pwis however many hbcus can generally compete with meeting financial needs pwi’s choose not to the united negro college fund uncf states that more than 70 of all students at hbcus qualify for federal pell grants and 80 of hbcu students receive federal loans
They wanted those schools to be as free as possible from paternalism from racism whether subtle or blatant the source continues to illustrate how low-cost and many historically black programs helps narrow racial wealth gaps by giving students an incredible value for an affordable price about 54 of african americans between the age of 25
And 40 have student loans compared with 39 percent of white americans in that age group uncf explains hbcus offer a loophole in a sense a way out of poverty for many first-generation black kids an escape route to success without the burden of suffocating student loans while at pwi’s a majority of black
Students can feel lonely often joining or creating black student unions bsu to feel the sense of community and safety hbcus are practically one giant bsu all day every day spikely depicts the beautiful communal aspect harbored at hbcus in his film school days everything that could be potentially weaponized against
A black student at a pwi becomes a rejoiceful and understood source of identity at an hbcu that college experience provides the place to be in the majority that is such a unique and empowering experience cultural vibrance what school day also highlights is a lively greek and athletic life that makes hbcus
Entirely unmistakable from most pwi’s with cookie-cutter cultural presences the divine nine or nine fraternities and sororities that are practically the lifeline to many hbcus especially for students post graduation sororities like the alpha kappa alpha aka are distinctly known for their strong sisterhood distinct green and pink color palette
And notable chants and dances that make them one of the most notable sororities the alpha phi alpha fraternity is also a booming fraternity with over 700 chapters and 290 000 members across the world some of its members are mlk web dubois and many more hbcu’s distinct greek life along with
Their celebrated and invigorating homecomings make their campus life entirely unrecognizable from pwi’s in her 2019 concert film on netflix beyonce saluted hbcus in her homecoming coachella performance complete with live instrumentation odes to football and marching band energetic dancers and choreography beyonce gave many black audience members a reminder of their college years at
Hbcus and gave unfamiliar audience members a taste of a whole new world if you’re a black student interested in pursuing higher level education or interested in supporting one of the nation’s more precious treasure troves look into hvcus and get acquainted with their impact on students all across the world [Applause]
Movements are easily birthed on hbcu’s campuses we must love and protect each other we’re all going through the same experience You
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