For blacks, the history of higher education typically points to segregated education. Before the Civil War, the social system promoted the belief that blacks wouldn’t get return on their time spent in higher education. Brown and Ricard (2007) noted that most North institutions were reluctant to allow black enrollment in colleges and universities, and in the South, where slaveholder’s were still powerhouse businessmen, slaves would never be allowed to become more educated than their owners. The reluctance of the White leaders to allow blacks to formally be accepted into higher education programs held blacks back from achieving what many aspired to, and were fully capable of, experience. Through research of the literature, this paper will explore the history of black experiences in higher education, and the effects of historically black colleges on the field. Despite the roadblocks, Gurin and Epps (2002) estimated that 28 blacks were able to graduate from American colleges before the Civil War. The first school known to be a black institution is Cheyney University located in Pennsylvania and was founded in 1837. From 1865 through 1877, with the help from whites, a small amount of black institutions were established before the Civil War, with the goal of developing teachers and preachers. After the Civil War, approximately 50 private colleges and universities were founded, with the goal of serving the black community. The North helped establish thousands of elementary and secondary schools to provide education to the ex-slaves, and some of the people teaching them were the educated blacks. After the Civil War ended, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments motivated states to start supporting education for ex-slaves and black American... ... middle of paper ... ...ch as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, have had on blacks in higher education has affected the field for more than just African Americans. That’s the type of transformative leadership that was needed to revolutionize higher education. Works Cited Anderson, J. (n.d.). Historically black colleges and universities. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/itvs/fromswastikatojimcrow/blackcolleges_2.html Brown II, M. C., & Ricard, R. B. (2007). The honorable past and uncertain future of the nation’s HBCUs. Thought & Action, 117. Gosda, R. T. (2002). Booker T. Washington. Abdo Publishing Company. Roebuck, J. B., & Murty, K. S. (1993). Historically Black colleges and universities: Their place in American higher education. Westport, CT: Praeger. University of Michigan. Institute for Social Research. [Publications]. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Institute of Social Research.
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Show MoreEducation is an ideological mechanism African-Americans used to enhance their social standing in the United States soon after liberation. During the period of W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, the sort of education explored by African- Americans was the focus of intense discussion. Washington was an enthusiastic supporter of industrial/vocational education while DuBois supported both higher and industrial education, but greatly emphasized on the higher education (Ogbu 23). A lot of people in the Black society accepted DuBois’s stand on higher education remained the better proposal because it was thought to uplift the community. They thought that Washington’s approach was inefficient and left the whole race exposed to violation by White Americans.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is a prime example of Woodson’s argument on “miseducated” blacks. Although Thomas benefitted from programs like affirmative action, once he reached the high point in his career he supported legislature to end such programs. Hampton University and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities must take it upon themselves to teach their students the importance of contributing to their communities once they graduate and enter into the business world. Colleges like Hampton, Howard, Spelman and Morehouse have the opportunity to produce professionals that can restructure and save the black community. Students who graduate from these institutions have the resources and knowledge that are needed to revive the African American community and their economy. Black colleges must educate their students on the need for black businesses, role models and the importance of staying connected to their culture and community.
Imagine this; the year is 1836. You are a 17-year-old student interested in learning more about the world around you; however, such an opportunity won’t come your way because you are black. Due to this fact you have no hope of furthering your education past the reading, writing, and arithmetic their slave masters taught your parents. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. The minds of many African American’s go to waste due to individual ignorance of their people and thus of themselves. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were put into effect to educate the black mind and eliminate the ignorance. The discussion of whether Historically Black Colleges and Universities are still necessary in the 21st century has taken place in recent years. Within the discussion many debate that due to the fact that the world is no longer like it was in the 1800’s, the time period in which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were created, the purpose of them no longer exists. However, the cultural significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities seems to be overlooked by those who argue their importance and relevance in a time where blacks have the option of attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The purpose and grounds on which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were developed are still being served. The need to increase efforts to not only rouse, but support Historically Black Colleges and Universities is necessary now more than ever in order to preserve our past, fulfill the purpose of our present, and ensure our future.
Lynch, Ed.D. Matthew. "Historically Black Colleges and Universities Are Worth Saving." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Solorzano, D., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American college students. Journal of Negro Education, 69(1/2), 60-73.
UCLA has been under scrutiny for its lack of diversity and underrepresentation of the black student population. Black students only make up 5% of the undergraduate body (admissions.ucla.edu). Despite this small number, black communities on campus are active and prominent at UCLA and the greater Los Angeles community. Through our video our goal was to convey that although the black student community is oppressed and mistreated by the education system, the student groups on campus bring the community together for black collegiate success. By interviewing various black figures on campus, ranging from professors to club board members, we developed a holistic perspective on the plethora of black presence on campus.
Clearly, HBCUs provide several benefits to African-American students. Not only have they helped to combat the cycle of discrimination that minority students experienced before the civil rights initiatives of the 1960s, but they strive to provide a warm, supportive and inclusive academic environment that addresses African-American college students as a whole person. Additionally, HBCUs are increasing their efforts to ensure that higher education is accessible, affordable and achievable for individuals with unique socioeconomic challenges. Despite obstacles, historically Black institutions will continue to play a vital and significant role in the fabric of higher education.
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 in our own world today, HBCUs are very important and significant in the education of black people throughout the nation, and are essential to our society.
As cliché as it sounds, it is true that many African American students come from very harsh and poverty stricken environments. They tend to go to under resourced schools as well that do not provide the proper knowledge for them to further their education. And even worse, these schools tend to be segregated since they are usually in the harsher parts of a neighborhood. Sadly, it’s the segregated schools are one of the main reasons why black students decide not to go on to pursue a higher education. According to "The Way Out of the Black Poverty Cycle", a black student that attends an integrated suburban school is six times more likely to graduate compared to a segregated under resourced school. An African Americans family structure and the opinions of family members affects if their decision to further their education as well. Many African American children grow up un...
In 2006, an article was published by three doctoral students, (Tricia Seifert, Jerri Drummond, and Ernest Pascarella) at the University of Iowa, highlighting a research study undergone by the three concerning the role of institutional types, with emphasis on historically black colleges (HBC’s) in African-American students’ experiences. The findings, as published in the Journal of College Student Development showed that students who attend HBC’s report greater levels of good practices than their peers at other institutions of higher education. These findings suggested a greater emphasis on the teaching of students, as defined by the mission statements of these particular institutions.
* Myers, Samuel L. Desegregation in higher education. Washington, D.C. : University Press of America, 1988.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. (2006).Black Student College Graduation Rates Remain Low, But Modest Progress Begins to Show. Retrieved from: http://www.jbhe.com/features/50_blackstudent_gradrates.html
Back in the 1800’s, African-Americans were not allowed to get an education. However, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, slaves were freed and education became legal for them. Bowie State University was one of the first schools to educate black students. This is the mainstay of Michelle Obama’s speech to the 2013 graduating class of Bowie State.
He makes a very good point when he says that the more knowledge black workers have the less control unions would have on them. Blassingame goes on to state that African American Studies will have a relatively short cycle because it has already been deemed a “soft program that these students can pass” (Blassingame 152) and institutions “are not seriously committed to African American Studies because they feel the demand will die out shortly” (Blassingame 153). Blacks need to broaden their horizons to be able to teach other fields such as math, biology, engineering and law. This will begin to truly integrate schools and there won’t be any unfair “separate but equal” facilities. Blassingame makes an argument saying that African American Studies shouldn’t serve as an “emotional reinforcement” (Blassingame 160), which means black students having support from other blacks to better live with racism, because there have been many blacks before them at a time when racism was more prevalent and they have succeed without it. African American Studies should be used to enrich educational experiences of all students and teach them to think and understand more clearly, the problems of their
However, there are many challenges when it comes down to black studies such as black studies departments being seen as non-essential and non-challenging by undergrads, being lumped together with women studies and Latino studies referring to it as: ethnic studies, and being viewed as less academically rigorous attracting careerist grad students with no background or interest in black community and development or empowerment. As James B. Stewart states “the university must become a center of applied knowledge and guidance