slavery | THE BLACK LADDER

ARE HBCUs STILL RELEVANT? YES!

By Samori Swygert

A question that will recurrently buoy to the educational surface is, “Are HBCUs still relevant?” My response is an emphatic and resounding yes! Before delving into the matter of their relevance, it is imperative for all participants in the discussion to have a firm historical perspective on racial policies in America. Prior to Brown vs. Topeka board of education, prior to Bull Connor, prior to the Little Rock 9, prior to separate but equal, it used to be illegal for African Americans to learn to read, and a book was considered contraband to slaves.

I would like to consider other facts in establishing my case. Slavery was abolished in 1865. The top notch universities that are still revered as elite institutions of education were functioning well before 1865. Harvard University was established in 1636, Yale University was established in 1701, Princeton University was established in 1746, Columbia University was established in 1754, Brown University was established in 1764, and Cornell University was established the same year as slavery was abolished, 1865. You must gain an accurate temporal relationship with these dates in correlation with the timeframe of slavery. These dates indicate that young white students were privileged enough to gain an education while blacks were concurrently enslaved! White students were afforded the head start, and momentum to create and contribute to the society blacks were still seeking freedom and rights in. The irony of the existence between these two institutions continued for well over a century. While some young white adults were being educated in science, math, literature, politics, engineering, and the arts in a comfortable environment, black children and adults performed strenuous and laborious tasks under a harsh, violent, and unsolicited system. Learning was encouraged in these institutions of education, and learning was discouraged and denied in slavery, complete polar opposites.

When slavery was abolished and the reconstruction era started, it still was difficult for the newly freed slaves to thrive in this new society. Despite their new found freedom, admission into institutions of higher learning was still denied and the sheer cost alone was almost impossible. How were African Americans able to gain an education on a mass scale to compete with their white counterparts in society?

There are many stories and cases of blacks that matriculated into Ivy League schools overtime. However, there was no single institution that facilitated the mass education of African Americans until Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The movement to create institutions specifically geared toward the education of blacks across the country empowered the African American race, and propelled them forward. Once afforded this opportunity to learn, it fostered a change in their lifestyle because they gained the competence and confidence to compete, and take command over their own destiny. HBCUs gave blacks more independence. African Americans did not have to attend traditionally white institutions in order to gain a degree. The obstacles on their road to progress began dwindling. Time proved that blacks were just as educable, competitive, innovative, and intelligent as whites. The deprivation and denial of resources, time, land, and money was the only difference. A classic historical example made evident was the debate team legacy of Wiley College portrayed in the movie, The Great Debaters.

The Journey Continues

As we continue down the timeline we’ll see black law schools, medical schools, dental schools, nursing schools, pharmacy schools, and business schools emerge, and an exponential production of well trained black professionals. The HBCUs began a legacy of greatness that compounded with each year of existence. They established a rich heritage of inspirational stories of triumph, and success that each black student can relate and aspire to. They are the true stories and examples of “pulling yourself up by the boot strap”.

But why an HBCU?

The key attribute about HBCUs is that they tell students they can make it. Yes, HBCUs will take those high scholastic performing students, and they will also take that borderline student and hinge their bets on that borderline student’s potential. It’s said that many African American students may not be afforded the opportunity to an Ivy League college due to stringently high academic criteria, theorized institutional bias, or the exorbitantly high cost of education. Whatever the reasons may be that some black
students don’t attend Ivy League or traditionally white institutions, HBCUs provide a unique empowering and educational haven for black success. If a student may be average, borderline, or insecure, the HBCU provides a positive identity for that student and a sense of pride.

A question of identity

In American History classes, students will hear about the brilliance of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, John Kennedy and more. So white students have symbols of success they can identify with. That identity encourages them to do better, or replicate their historical models of success. However, the under-emphasis of black success in American History classes may leave young black students feeling hopeless and devoid of any historical pride, and thus have low expectation and standards of themselves.

At HBCUs student will be in classes with peers of the same color, some of similar stories that they can relate to and share true inspiration and motivation to get through their journey. The second component of identity that HBCUs provide is within the history. Students are taught in University 101 about how blacks like themselves were able to achieve success despite the social odds against them. The students can look at George Washington Carver and say “a black man did all this”. The student can read about the life of Charles Drew and his medical achievements and say “that was a black man”. They can look at Black Greek Letter Organizations and see the positive power in the unity of young blacks that are devoted to one common cause. Students can walk the halls and see the statues of great blacks, and say “I’m much greater than the stereotypes and statistics that the media portrays”. They are surrounded by professors that have a concept of the racial struggle for equality for blacks, and thus have a genuine vested interest in giving the best education they can to further the posterity of each generation of students.

You can’t plead the same exact case for Ivy League and Non-HBCU institutions of higher learning. HBCUs reaffirm the greatness in the potential of every black student if provided that opportunity, because it gives them multiple frames of reference. The student can always look at past and recent historical black diamonds that may have just been a piece of coal that needed careful positive pressure. Since their inception to contemporary times, HBCUs have their niche and their need!

I cringe at the thought of all the talented black youth that have potential, but are not afforded the opportunity for higher education, and are sometimes temporarily or permanently locked out of a better way of life. I also cringe at the thought of the deprivation of such a rich cultural heritage that gives them an identity of greatness, and unlocks all their potential unbeknownst to them. Ivy League and other Non-HBCU institutions are great and an education in general is wonderful, but it’s my opinion that HBCUs provide a more holistic, nurturing education that compliments the needs of the black student. So are HBCUs still relevant? My answer is an emphatic and resounding, YES!! A more serious question to consider is this, “what would have happened to the millions of HBCU graduates that were not admitted to Non-HBCUs if HBCUs didn’t exist?”

Would African American reparations be America’s stimulus package?

By: Samori T. Swygert

What would you do if you opened your mailbox, and received a letter from the United States government? The letter read something like this, “a review of historical data by members of various levels of government and the treasury department concluded that being a descendant of African American slaves that were wrongly obtained, detained, forced to slave labor without wages or salary, and subjected to various forms of abuse, we would like to first apologize with sincere honesty and hope you accept the enclosed check for $100,000.00. We are aware that the reward is meager compared to the hardship, disadvantages, and disenfranchisement that has occurred over the years. However, due to rewarding numerous citizens that are eligible for this compensation, restitution, and reparation, we concluded this amount may help lessen the burden and show true contrition for the act of slavery.”

What would you do? The check is ready to be redeemed, cash money!!!

I pose this question because of a conversation a coworker and I had. What would be the best form of reparations? Would the best act of reparation lie in a check for a specific amount of money, free education, work and live as citizens without paying any taxes, or etc? My response to the question has a biblical basis. The book and passage of the bible I would rely on is; Romans 12:2- “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

This is not a religious blog, but African Americans need a paradigm shift before receiving reparations. I may be accusatory or speculative, but I firmly believe that we have been groomed into an addictive consumer relationship with America. It’s not fair to paint the whole African American population with a broad brush, but you must concur that a great deal of us are groomed to be consumers and not producers. White Americans are large consumers also, but they differ from us because they are also largely the producers, owners and beneficiaries of various markets in the American economy.

I feel that $100,000.00 check would be a stimulus package to White America and other multinational groups. The music, music videos, commercials, magazines and billboard advertisements indoctrinate us to be gross consumers. This would be okay if we owned the majority of the products we consume or the sole proprietor of services we patronize. The truth is we do not own the majority of what we patronize. The contemporary culture overemphasizes and glorifies: luxury cars and aircrafts, designer clothes, top shelf alcohol, expensive electronics (new flat screens, Playstations, iPods, iPads, tablets, and computers), ostentatious jewelry, choicest restaurants, state of the art hotels and resorts, hi-tech fire arms, and then all the accessories, amenities and accoutrements to top off our purchases. Now this is not all blacks!! We must free our minds from consuming the symbols and byproducts of success, and really achieve true success! I am guilty myself, if this helps you settle into the honesty of these statements.

There are questions that need to be asked. How many black owned automobile and aircraft manufacturers exist? How many alcohol breweries and distilleries are black owned? How many cell phone, TV and electronics manufacturers are black owned? How many jewelers are black owned? How many black owned precious metals and diamond minds exist? How many choicest restaurants are black owned and franchised across the nation? How many gun manufacturers are black owned? What was the last black owned hotel or resort you’ve checked into? How many black owned fashion designers do you know and purchase from? What quantity of produce do you purchase from the black farmers? If you are being completely honest with me (keep it 100), your answers to these questions should be, few to none. I’m a pretty good dancer so I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes, but this is done to force true introspection and self-evaluation. These questions also reveal where our hard earned money is squandered, and where we are creating millionaires by false visions of success and happiness they solicit to us via various mediums. These questions also reveal the various markets that we need to begin to compete in as owners and producers. Why should others take from the black community? Why must our dollars be everybody else’s stimulus package?

In the spirit of the Olympics, I would like to make a comparison of the Olympics to the African American community. In the Olympics, various countries compete for the gold medal in various sporting disciplines (boxing, track, gymnastics, swimming, archery, and etc). In our case, the gold medal translates into the “Black Dollar”. The various sporting disciplines translate into numerous industries (fashion, electronics, communication, recreation, entertainment, food, automobile, and etc). There are so many cultures from various foreign countries within and outside our neighborhood. They’re competing for the “Black Dollar”.

The conundrum is we are underrepresented in the competition for our own money. In lieu of the current economic, educational, and social conditions, we need to transform through the renewing of our mind. We need to begin learning these skills, technologies, business stratagems, and even create new markets and industries. This is the era of the inventor and entrepreneur. Unemployment is high, jobs are being outsourced, incarceration is increased, what are you going to do to get that gold medal? Do you have the innovation to create a new industry and market to captivate the black consumer, and command the black dollar? You have nothing else to lose if you’re already unemployed or underclass.

So we need to transform our minds to conserve our finances, pool our resources, plan and strategize. The chances of receiving reparations seem slim, but we can’t let our disposable income be everyone else’s stimulus package. We need to become more fiscally astute and financially scrupulous. If we do not read, apply our education, and think outside the box, we will be doomed to be permanent consumers, and cemented in the underclass. I’m starting by working on myself now. I just wanted to share my spirit with you, and God Bless!

Empowering the climb to success and higher understanding!