Blacks at white schools

[J-State]

Well to answer the first questions that truly depends on the person,I can't speak for anyone else for e personally I wasn't comfortable being around that many black folks just keeping it real, I was raised in Santa Ana California and the every school I attended you could count the number of black students on one hand an you probally knew them by name. Moving to the south and seeing classrooms filled with us freaked me out at first, however I got use it. But I was never in an predominantly black school prior to going to Alabama A&M and I studied their for three years. The atmosphere was the best for me personally and I was finding myself stuggling. I currently attend a white institution in Ga the 3rd largest in the state and I love it, and my grades are reflecting that. I can't say which is better,for myself I won't say that I should never have went there Hbcu's teach people how to fight and be persistant in persuing what they want. It's all in what you put into it, some places just aren't meant for certain people.

If you talented enough it doesn't matter where you go look at Jerry Rice who attended Miss.valley state and was drafted.

Santa Ana will do that to you. May as well be from Orange County or Simi Valley. But I do understand, when you don't know you just don't know. Many people I talk to who went to PWC have a had time commuincating and relating to people who went to HBCU, experience wise. There is absolutely nothing like a HBCU.

I was at homecoming this past weekend at Band Rehersal Friday night and this brother who attended a PWC was really blown away by what he was seeing and that was at band rehersal. He said his kids were attending a HBCU. My daughter is a senior at JSU, when she was in high school all her talk was attending USM. My response, I hope they pay for it because i'm not. Of course I knew she was going to JSU all along, she loves JSU and so do I.

 

[Kendrick]

Some of the comments on this thread are PRECISELY why I'll be getting my M.Ed in SECONDARY COUNSELING, and pushing OUR KIDS towards OUR SCHOOLS.

That includes my own. :nod: :tup: UAPB might not be their first choice, but it won't be their last.

I took dance, gymnastics, participated in Jack and Jill, and participated in Fine Arts camps as a kid. I was a well rounded athlete and scholar because I was pushed. By the age of 16, I'd seen cities in the country, and around the world, that some people the age I am now have yet to see. I was able to do all of this as a result of the BLACK COLLEGE EDUCATION that my PARENTS received.

I grew up in a Black College environment. I travelled to other HBCUs as a child. The love and pride that I guess not everyone feels for HBCUs courses through my veins with every beat of my heart. I have PRIDE in the school that afforded myself, my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, husband, sisters-in-law, and countless friends the opportunity to go out and do great things and make differences in our respective communities, and I have NOTHING BUT LOVE for the others of her kind across the country, and WHEN I become a counselor, it will be my PERSONAL MISSION to see to it that OTHER BABIES who LOOK LIKE ME see the VALUE in OUR institutions, even when the people who passed through their doors before obviously DO NOT.

I think that we all have pride and love for the university that we attended, or are attending right now or we would not have attended that school. However, I think black students and their parents need to ask HBCUs, how are they going to help in getting a good education. The classes, the athletics and Greek life is just a small part of the HBCU experience. Students want to know that their financial aid taken care of in a timely and professional manner. They want better living conditions and an upgrade in learning equipment and learning environment. They want people who are not teachers to care about their needs and not pushing them along just so they can leave at 5 p.m. And more importantly, they want to know where is that money going to help them get that education. Hey, I want HBCUs to be the first option too, but if passionate parents and former alumni don't give back or demand better facilities and professionalism, then HBCUs will continue to be viewed in negative light.

 

[unknown]

Do you know why we are in the hood? I guess being black in America didn't have anything to do with that huh?

You may know that and so do I. The question is do you think potential students give a damn about that? More than likely not since more black students are attending PWCs than HBCUs every year. Like I said its a new generation and they could give a damn why its in the hood or why the school was even built for that matter. They see the nice campus apartments, less of a hassle, and better amenities when making a choice. I didnt make the rules but I see it firsthand all the time.

Go to an upper middle class black neighborhood and take a poll on high school seniors with choices of SWAC schools vs Georgia State or UGA and you will see what I mean. And those that do choose schools such as the AUC complain because the tuition is so high and they dont see any results of where the money goes. With the exception of New Res @ CAU the dorms are still in the stone age.

If you want to compete NOW in this day and age you have to be able to market yourself on the same level as PWCs if you want to attract more AA kids because like I said, its a new generation. Most high school or even public school systems arent teaching anything about the past of civil rights except MLK so they dont really care that about some point 30-40 years ago we couldnt attend PWCs. No need in complaining about it if youre not at least TRYING to improve your campus. I mean think about it, how many schools do you know that are JUST now getting cable or dont even have it yet?

Such is life

 

[CriTAUcal]

If you want to compete NOW in this day and age you have to be able to market yourself on the same level as PWCs if you want to attract more AA kids because like I said, its a new generation. Most high school or even public school systems arent teaching anything about the past of civil rights except MLK so they dont really care that about some point 30-40 years ago we couldnt attend PWCs. No need in complaining about it if youre not at least TRYING to improve your campus. I mean think about it, how many schools do you know that are JUST now getting cable or dont even have it yet?

You are right. We do need to step our game up. But my concern is: do people in key positions at our college/universities realize this? And do they care? And what efforts are they taking to improve their marketing strategies and PR image?

 

[CEE DOG]

It amazes me how young blacks say screw our past, but other young ethnic groups continue to stay proud of their heritage because they realize it was that foundation that got them to where they are. I see now why this young black generation is so lost. A man that doesn't know where he came from can never understand where he is going. The next 10 years is going to interesting to see how this young 18-23 age group handles the world when they become young middle aged adults. Blacks now have more than we have ever had even going back 10 years ago, yet we are more dysfunctional as a race. As you young folks say, "That's real talk".

You may know that and so do I. The question is do you think potential students give a damn about that? More than likely not since more black students are attending PWCs than HBCUs every year. Like I said its a new generation and they could give a damn why its in the hood or why the school was even built for that matter. They see the nice campus apartments, less of a hassle, and better amenities when making a choice. I didnt make the rules but I see it firsthand all the time.

Go to an upper middle class black neighborhood and take a poll on high school seniors with choices of SWAC schools vs Georgia State or UGA and you will see what I mean. And those that do choose schools such as the AUC complain because the tuition is so high and they dont see any results of where the money goes. With the exception of New Res @ CAU the dorms are still in the stone age.

If you want to compete NOW in this day and age you have to be able to market yourself on the same level as PWCs if you want to attract more AA kids because like I said, its a new generation. Most high school or even public school systems arent teaching anything about the past of civil rights except MLK so they dont really care that about some point 30-40 years ago we couldnt attend PWCs. No need in complaining about it if youre not at least TRYING to improve your campus. I mean think about it, how many schools do you know that are JUST now getting cable or dont even have it yet?

Such is life

 

[unknown]

You are right. We do need to step our game up. But my concern is: do people in key positions at our college/universities realize this? And do they care? And what efforts are they taking to improve their marketing strategies and PR image?

They barely even care enough to figure out a way to make registration go smoothly.

 

[DAHILL]

smh@some of these responses...

IF you havent been to both you cant possibly respond and know what you are talking about.

 

[CriTAUcal]

They barely even care enough to figure out a way to make registration go smoothly.

I don't know about other schools, but Jackson State has made attempts to make registration go a little smoother. It's the customer-service that needs to be worked on.

 

[CriTAUcal]

smh@some of these responses...

IF you havent been to both you cant possibly respond and know what you are talking about.

Well, speak on it then.

And I can speak on our HBCUs and tell what I think some of our problems are.

And how can one not know what they're talking about when sharing their personal feelings about whites being at their own schools?

 

[unknown]

It amazes me how young blacks say screw our past, but other young ethnic groups continue to stay proud of their heritage because they realize it was that foundation that got them to where they are. I see now why this young black generation is so lost. A man that doesn't know where he came from can never understand where he is going. The next 10 years is going to interesting to see how this young 18-23 age group handles the world when they become young middle aged adults. Blacks now have more than we have ever had even going back 10 years ago, yet we are more dysfunctional as a race.

Well thats the way it is. For one unless you live in an all black school district, who is teaching black students the past if their parents arent? And you have more parents that want their kids to go to white schools these days so thats just how it is. I still feel like a student should have a choice whether they want to attend a PWC or an HBCU. If we still HAD to go to an HBCU hell what would've been the purpose of desegregation in the first place? And as far as the screw our past part, how can you expect someone to grasp something such as the strong racism blacks faced back in those days when its not like that today? Sure, there is still racism but kids today dont have to worry about being lynched and sprayed with water hoses so thats something this generation will NEVER be able to understand. You can tell them but telling and living are two different things.

I am from LaGrange, we have a pretty good black population there but in our school system there may be 1 or 2 teachers that went to HBCUs. So in essence, NONE of the academic advisors are even going to think about encouraging black students to go to HBCUs. The campus tours are usually to UGA, GA State, GT, Auburn, Georgia Southern and West Georgia. And the black advisors that did go to HBCUs will tell you to go to a PWC before the blacks that actually went to PWCs would. Out of all the black students that graduated with me, I could probably count on 3 hands how many went to HBCUs and thats out of 600 graduates. The majority went to Auburn, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, West Georgia, LaGrange College, West Georgia Technical College and Mercer.

Having gone to both I will admit, its like night and day. Almost a whole day just to get a schedule at one, a few minutes to register online at another. A 5 x 9 room that I could cut on the tv, open the refridgerator, open the door and open the window from sitting on my bed at one...a 12th floor luxury loft fully furnished with sofas, beds, washer & dryer at another..and the loft was actually cheaper than the 5 x 9 room. Either using your own pc in your room on dial-up internet or walking all the way across campus to go to the lab at one, full T3 internet access in your bedroom and living room at another.

And thats just MY experience..these are the little things that people pay attention to and is part of the reason HBCUs are losing the battle. You simply CANNOT say that blacks should attend HBCUs if you dont have the edge on the other universities that are already sending them recruitment letters in the mail their freshman year.

 

[CEE DOG]

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who attend PWCs. I also think you should be given a choice. That's what the civil rights movement was for. My problem lies with people who think you will go futher in life with a degree from a PWC.

 

[Golden Lion Fan]

This is obviously a subject that people feel strong about. With that said, how do some of you feel about white, asian, latino and Middle Eastern students attending HBCUs? Are they ignoring their hertiage and culture by attending an HBCU, or is this just a black/white issue?

This was not the point of this thread but I did appologize earlier for not being clearer from the beginning. The issue here for me is blacks putting down hbcus (to sum it all up).

 

[silentrage]

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who attend PWCs. I also think you should be given a choice. That's what the civil rights movement was for. My problem lies with people who think you will go futher in life with a degree from a PWC.

Agreed!

One can only go as far as their desire. The degree, be it from an HBCU or a PWC, doesn't make the person. It is what you do with your knowledge that will propel you to bigger and better things.

 

[Golden Lion Fan]

I think that we all have pride and love for the university that we attended, or are attending right now or we would not have attended that school. However, I think black students and their parents need to ask HBCUs, how are they going to help in getting a good education. The classes, the athletics and Greek life is just a small part of the HBCU experience. Students want to know that their financial aid taken care of in a timely and professional manner. They want better living conditions and an upgrade in learning equipment and learning environment. They want people who are not teachers to care about their needs and not pushing them along just so they can leave at 5 p.m. And more importantly, they want to know where is that money going to help them get that education. Hey, I want HBCUs to be the first option too, but if passionate parents and former alumni don't give back or demand better facilities and professionalism, then HBCUs will continue to be viewed in negative light.

WELL PUT AND i DEFINITELY AGREE! Iwill try my best to do my part when I graduate.

 

[crazylegs]

Well,


I've been through both sides of the spectrum and I've seen alot of good and bad from both sides.

I wouldn't trade my experience at an HBCU for anything in the world because it was integral in solidifying the person that I am. That being said, those experiences don't exonorate us from collectively taking personal initiative to ensure that our institutions have the tools necessary to attract and retain the best and brightest that are out there.

In order to do that, we've gotta start holding our BOT's and Admins at the schools to a higher standard, period...


It frustrates me because we can come on this website any day of the week and talk about some of the very things that turn off potential students from experiencing what we have to offer.


Does that mean we go away from what seperates our institutions from everybody else??? Absolutely not. However, we do need to ensure that the lure of power isn't alowed to cloud that mission. We still have that type of mess going on way too much and it's costing us collectively.


Also, we've got to start hinking outside of the box as it pertains to who we educate and how. Programs like workforce enhancement and Distance Education are alot less common among HBCU's than it should be, particularly for folks that want to have another chance to obtain their education at an HBCU. Again, some schools are ahead of the curve (North Carolina Central and Winston Salem State University have Distance Education programs that are among some of the very best on the East Coast.), some aren't...

That has to change in earnest...and soon.

 

[ChicagoJag]

I wanted to make one point that has been hinted at but not directly addressed.

Before we make blanket statements about HBCU's/PWI's, we need to understand that in both categories, the schools run the gamut of quality.

For Example, with PWI's, you can go from;
Eastern Illinois University <------------------------ > Princeton

With HBCU's, you can go from;
Morris Brown College <------------------------ > Hampton
(and that's no hating on MoB, that's simply today's reality)​

At the end of the day, it boils down to the needs, capabilities, and wishes of the student ... and the perspective of the parent.

Peep this:
(MANY) Years ago, my High-School girlfriend was raised in a hyper-bourgie wanna-be family. When I told them I was going to Southern, they SERIOUSLY looked down their noses at my choice. To them, HBCU = Settling for less.

She ended up going to a small, private, expensive school called Ripon College in Wisconsin. She must have been one of 100 Blacks on campus. She even joined a White Sorority. Within two years, they ran her hyper-bourgie wanna-be butt outta there! (She ended up finishing at Bradley -- and becoming an Alpha Angel, BTW --, getting her Masters, and is now working on her PhD at Tulane.) All that said, she is now very successful in her career and making strong moves.

The deep thing is that recently we were talking and she told me, "If I could have done one thing differently, I would have gone to Bennett or Spelman. As a young Black woman trying to find my way, I could have seriously benefitted from being in an environment that was supportive and nurturing of me as a woman of color." When I heard that, you could have knocked me over with a feather!


Here's the flip side:
My current lady-friend (and potential life-mate) has a Grown daughter who graduated college 2 years ago. She is one of the brightest and most well-adjusted young people I have ever been around. She graduated high-school with a 4.5 on a 4.0 (AP courses!) and could have gone anywhere she wanted to.

She ended up going to Carnegie-Mellon University, where she earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering -- and earned a perfect 4.0. She now works for Boeing as a (no lie!) Rocket Scientist and she is doing great. More to the point, she thoroughly enjoyed her college experience and has no regrets about her choice.


My point in all of this is that it ultimately depends on the student and their needs. It also depends on the parent knowing and understanding their child well enough to supply a gentle nudge in the direction that will be best for thier child.

I'm just happy we have choices.

 

[southsuburbs]

*edit*

 

[Da_Sperm]

Now that makes me want to cry! I am a UAPB student and I know we are not a bright and shining diamond but we produce diamonds in the rough! Just because you attended UAPB or any other black schools doens't make you nothing nor does it mean you started out with nothing though some did! JUst because you may send your children to a PWC doesn't mean they won't struggle and when they graduate it doesn't mean they will be working for places like the fortune 500 firms.
Though I do 100% respect your opinion and everyone's opinion on this board, this mentality is exactly what I was talking about and don't favor very much.
You have to think about it for a sec. Some one on the board said that Black students today don't think nor care about what happened during the underground railroad era! True but if we don't think about it or remember it we won't recognize when history repeats itself in many was. Trust it will repeat itself. Again I say, there is nothing wrong with going to predominantly white schools, I repeat nothing wrong at all but never ever put your black schools down! If it was for them and the people that graduated from them alot of black people would not have the education they have today nor be able to be the back bone for several black families in today's society. Also, many blacks would not have the courage to fight for what is right then and today.

Well, you can cry. Don't forget, the current Chancellor at UAPB, who father was the President at UAPB also, has KIDS who graduated from other universities and at least attended other universities (PWC). He is the chancellor and a graduate of UAPB/AM&N and his own kids went elsewhere. I never questioned it, nor do I think anybody else has the right to question it. Its was a decision that his kids, his familiy, and his money made.

I'm sure there are people who graduated from Arkansas Baptist who strive to send their kids somewhere other than Arkansas Baptist, although it is a HBCU. I hope to direct my kids to take the best opportunity for them, if UAPB is the best at that time, then that is where they will go.

 

[Vinita]

The only one of his kids who went to a PWC was his son. His daughters went to HBCUs (JSU and SU).

 

[ALPHA3]

smh@some of these responses...

IF you havent been to both you cant possibly respond and know what you are talking about.

And there you have it! This is about the best statement made on this thread.

 

[Warndalyn]

And there you have it! This is about the best statement made on this thread.

I thought you were done w/this thread....

 

[pbla]

And there you have it! This is about the best statement made on this thread.

I have personally heard remarks from black students talking about they would have a better chance at getting drafted to any pro sport especially football if they were at a white school! I think different!

I think the whole point that Golden Lion fan was trying to make is that why some our people down HBCU's just by their assumptions.


My thing though is White schools are getting richer and Black schools getting poorer because most of our people still don't realize the stuggle is still going on achieve financial equality. And we will never achieve it by not supporting each other.

 

[Kendrick]

My thing though is White schools are getting richer and Black schools getting poorer because most of our people still don't realize the stuggle is still going on achieve financial equality. And we will never achieve it by not supporting each other.

Former alumni, businesses and regular people can only give so much money to schools. It comes down to how much the federal and state government is willing to give to help fund schools. That is were the real issue lies. Also university presidents have to fight for the funding they need as well. If universities had more people at those universities fighting for funding, it could alleviate some issues.

 

[pbla]

Former alumni, businesses and regular people can only give so much money to schools. It comes down to how much the federal and state government is willing to give to help fund schools. That is were the real issue lies. Also university presidents have to fight for the funding they need as well. If universities had more people at those universities fighting for funding, it could alleviate some issues.

Now we getting to the nitty gritty.:tup:

Also colleges get funding from enrollment fees also as well as financial subidies from their state governments. See this is the history, More White families could afford to send their kids to college thus creating a large revenue for the PWC's.

There were not that many Black families that could afford to send their kids to college thus resulting in meager enrollments at HBCU's which yielded smaller revenues.

Now my questions is this why state goverments give more money to state PWC's than state HBCU's. UALR VS UAPB;Grambling vs Louisiana Monroe. I heard that Grambling dorms need serious renovation. So why does Louisiana Monroe recieve more money than Grambling? It's a catch-22 with HBCU's because if they have the enrollment then state goverments will not allocat the money. Uppity Black parents are not going to send their kids to poor little Grambling because Grambling don't have the facilities to accomodate their children.
In 1970 UALR was junior college with an enrollment barely over 800. AM&N at that time had over 3000 students. Now UALR has a medical school and a Law school.

 

[Da_Sperm]

Now my questions is this why state goverments give more money to state PWC's than state HBCU's. UALR VS UAPB;Grambling vs Louisiana Monroe. I heard that Grambling dorms need serious renovation. So why does Louisiana Monroe recieve more money than Grambling? It's a catch-22 with HBCU's because if they have the enrollment then state goverments will not allocat the money. Uppity Black parents are not going to send their kids to poor little Grambling because Grambling don't have the facilities to accomodate their children.
In 1970 UALR was junior college with an enrollment barely over 800. AM&N at that time had over 3000 students. Now UALR has a medical school and a Law school.

Politics is the answer. UAPBs money didn't start to roll in until Chancellor Davis started to rub elbows with the people in charge of the money. Old saying, "squeeky wheel gets the grease".

Secondly, you have to realize that if majority of the state lawmakers are from PWC, then you should EXPECT that they will allocate majority of the state money to PWC. I know if I were a state lawmaker on a committee that distributed funds to colleges, UAPB would be well taken care of.