40 Acres and A Degree

There is no truer statement that can be made about education than it being the great liberator of the world. This is not to be misunderstood by affixing a school associated with how people become educated, but just to make clear the reasoning for lauding education. The academic world has been the gatekeeper of knowledge and specifically the accepted versions of history, philosophy, social sciences, and health care. All these areas of expertise are accredited in spaces where scholars appear to make universally accepted findings, theories, and research that fits the perspective of their groups. However, most of these spaces comprise of people who account for their understanding within the lens and scope from a predominately white perspective. The standards that are set in education, the prestige from particular institutions, and the distinguished alumni are touted as the symbols of greatness in various fields that impact our current society yet there are notable omissions that are continually being discovered. The omissions are not mere oversights, they are egregiously left out. The contributions to academia from the black community has as much to do with the shaping of today’s education system as the white community, yet they are rarely recognized nor touted as highly as they should be. From early childhood education to land grant schools that were founded by the Freedman’s Bureau to the founding of normal schools for negros, black schooling and education has not only redefined the passion for education, but also the need to reimagine what education can do for all.

As an alumnus of a historically black college or university (HBCU), there is always a conversation that I end up having with someone who attended a predominately white institute (PWI) about where my school is, how many people went there, and do they have sports. Most people in particular regions, whether white or black, can tell you at least three HBCU’s that they have heard of and in no order, it will be Howard, Spellman, or Morehouse. If you are in a southern state, you are more likely to hear about the biggest one in the area or the popular one because of homecoming activities, football classics, Greek organizations, or bands. Rarely do you hear people who are not black talk about the programs, partnerships, or graduate studies that are available at these institutes for higher learning. Some people are also under the assumption that the rigor of HBCU’s academics are not as comparable to PWI’s and presume that the quality of the education received there will not lead to lucrative opportunities for the future and that sentiment is unfortunately shared among black and white people alike. So why is there this narrative about HBCU’s?

In the 1950’s in the ruling of Plessy vs. Ferguson, education was deemed to be adequate in a separate but equal fashion. This upheld segregation which limited the available funds for black schools and led to increasingly poor learning conditions. It wasn’t that learning couldn’t happen, but the ability to obtain new materials, equipment, and in a healthy learning environment was not afforded to black students in predominately black schools. The ruling would be later overturned by Brown vs. The Board of Education but at a cost to existing schools. Some merged with other small schools and others closed due to the increasing enrollments at PWI’s for black students who unfortunately were still not fully accepted as an equal at those schools. Nevertheless, black people who wanted to pursue high learning opportunities continued to enroll in HBCU’s and went on to complete their degree program many of which became trailblazers in their field of study with national and international recognition.

The value of a degree from and HBCU carries a significant amount of pride, prestige, and history. Like the legacy students with a lineage from a PWI, HBCU student legacies tell a story of the past that goes unnoticed by some but never forgotten by those who’ve experienced it or were connected to it in some way. From the eastern shore of Florida, with less than twenty dollars and a few students, Bethune Cookman College was birthed. From the fields in rural Alabama, Tuskegee Institute was formed to produce industrial workers, teachers, and a few airmen who made a difference. From the middle of Tennessee, the college in Nashville is home to one of the most iconic schools for medicine for black people, and to this day is still the standard of producing black doctors in the country. From the highest of the seven hills in Tallahassee, rests the home of the annals of black culture in the archives where the rattlers dwell. From the bayou, students were slain in protest, yet their names, voices, and legacy remain like the lingering jaguars they represented. From the crescent city, resides the gleaming white and spacious green that once were the grounds by which the only black Governor (interim) in Louisiana’s history called home. From the chocolate city, also known as Washington DC, the home of the school that housed judges, doctors, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, and actors, also brought about the only female and black vice president in the history of the U.S. Much can be said about a small sampling of what an HBCU has done in the past, but as tradition holds true, wait to see what the future holds.