From my time here at an HBCU, I’ve noticed how when you mention an issue going on about the school, the usual response is “that’s that HBCU experience”, or “that’s at all HBCUs”, or “it wouldn’t be an HBCU if it didn’t”. Now before, it didn’t bother me because it didn’t register yet. However, it does now. Y’all might not be ready for this conversation but it’s happening.
We as a community of educated black people, should not associate anything sub-par with historically black institutions built to provide an education for us just like any other institution.
We have come to the point where we have just accepted the problems that we continue to face and deal with every day and it shouldn’t be like that. We should not be having to deal with unorganized financial aid departments, foul living arrangements, high tuition fees when most of the things that we pay for are not up-to-par and institutions that would rather focus on perfecting the school aesthetic instead of the actual students’ needs and concerns.
We attend legendary, illustrious historically black institutions that continue today so we as blacks can receive an education with others in our community, uplifting each other and growing together to become successful …and we should be living and treated as such.
We have to stop accepting these deficiencies and sugarcoating it as an experience. We are better than that and deserve better. Let’s end the stigma now and start expecting more from these universities and colleges. There is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to attend and receive an education in organized, up-to-date and efficient environments.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.