Some useless legislative branch of the government wants to merge HBCU’s with white majority schools for the RIGHT reason? If money is the primary motivation I might just agree with their fiscal responsible justification – but only because of one reason. A reason I will touch on in a moment. Please keep reading.
During this time of colossal state and federal budget cuts in many areas it is high time that we (black folk) consider that the social and municipal services that we (some Americans) may be accustomed to receiving will be taken away. It is also about time we (black folk) implement black nationalistic tendencies and practices. This could also be another cue for us to do a few things for ourselves e.g. pool resources to help each other out during the holiday season instead of waiting on a stimulus check or a tax break from our failing government.
Just today I saw a woman ringing that familiar seasonal Salvation Army bell. I was tempted to throw the change I had left over from my sandwich making essentials purchase into the red pot – but I had a second thought: ‘I am going to identify one black person seeking employment services at my workplace to donate all of my spare change to after about two months.’ I may just have enough to purchase some brother or sister a days worth of meals. Hope it is more than my usual: peanut butter and jelly.
Hey, this may not be much to offer. Nonetheless, it is this type of thinking that we need to contemplate considering America’s present economic crisis because the lowly of us will certainly be forgotten. It is this path of thinking that needs to be introduced and/or re-introduced into the minds of all black people nationwide that have an affinity toward HBCU’s.
To that ‘reason’ I mentioned above:
“Alumni associations for these black schools are very protective of their legacy.”-Senator Seth Harp
Harp is actually correct. However, he has overestimated the ‘protection’ we, HBCU grads, are willing to extend. If black graduates really were protecting the HBCU’s there would not be a threat of a merger. Now, would there?
With all of black America’s wealth, there is no legitimate reason that some senate governing body should have control over the fate of black colleges/universities. Actually, we should not even be in this position…again, considering our wealth and the money that we spend on frivolous crap like ridiculous Homecoming cover charges to get into an over crowded party.
Perhaps, I am beating an old drum. I know for sure that this discussion has been had before too – but when will we seriously consider a suggestion that
has been pleadingly touted over and over again? If it has not been a valid recommendation presented by countless black historical figures, why are we (black folk) still the owners of nothing collectively, and the consumers of everything? Why are we not in a position to fully fund the heartbeat of black academia?
In America’s pending debacle (the bottom falling out) we MUST seize the opportunity to build a united financially-sound community. If not, we will surely be the victims of our legislator’s poor decisions. We will lose our schools and the ability to foster a unique educational experience that prides itself on black student development.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/12/01/historical_black_colleges.html
Written by Brian E. Payne. Inspired by my time at Howard University.
4 comments:
Reader Response:
This is happening with Savannah State University, predominantly black HSBCU, and they are talking about merging it with the predominantly white Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, also. Tom Joyner even talked about Savannah State and his helping HSBCUs will not be the same, and does not know how that will affect us totally. He said it was a proposal on the radio, but I think it is already done!
-SP
Reader Response:
I did not get all the details from The Tom Joyner Show last week , but they mentioned two HBCUs in Alabama or Georgia that could possibly be taken over and/or merge with pred.white universities. Do you know which HBCU's?
-WJ
Muata Responds to WJ:
I have only heard of two schools in GA: Savannah State and Albany State. None from Alabama.
-Muata
Reader Freedom Responds:
I agree with you we cannot let the merger of Historical Black institutions happen. Instead as you suggested we should be the sole owners and distributors of what is taught to our black people. And I think we should use the wealth that is accumulated from tuition and book sales to build our communities that are housed in areas where so many Historical Black universities are built. You know what they are trying to do=2 0on right? They are trying to be slick and take over the "Inner Cities" with gentrification and push blacks out while cutting blacks out of achieving a higher education that if many blacks are turned down by white institutions they know they can always fall back on the HBCU to accept them in achieving the same a ccreditation degrees that those white schools offer that are required for most high paying jobs!
-Freedom
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