For hundreds of years, Historically Black Colleges andUniversities (HBCU) have excelled in educating black students.
Top black universities, like Morehouse College and SpelmanCollege, both in Atlanta, Howard University in Washington, D.C.,Hampton University in Hampton, Va., and Xavier University in NewOrleans, among others, have been the educational backbone to manyof the country's black leaders.
Some of America's top minds, including Booker T. Washington, aHampton graduate, Thurgood Marshall, a Howard University graduate,Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse graduate, and many more are theproducts of historically black colleges.
HBCUs have long standing effects on the lives of black students.However many students have strayed away from them, insteadattending more mainstream institutions. Although the decision toattend an HBCU varies for each student, the most common reasons fornot attending are the cost of attendance and the myth that aneducation from a black school is not as valuable as that of otheruniversities.
"I would never go to a black school," University ofMemphis senior MIS major Latricia Mays said. " I feel when yougo to get a job, they're (employers) going to look at what schoolyou went to, instead of your ability."
Mays is not alone in the belief that the university you attendedwill influence potential employers. Sophomore psychology majorLatoya Dansby agrees, but she said it isn't completely true inevery case.
"A lot of people say the accreditation is bad, like atMorris Brown (College)," Dansby said, "but I don't thinkthat counts for every school."
Morris Brown College senior Keeyonna Hogan said she does notthink the degree is looked upon as worthless, but that employersdefinitely do not consider it as an equal to mainstreamschools.
"It's almost like they think you went to a black schoolbecause you couldn't get into a different school," Hogan said."And that is rarely the case. Going to a black school hasactually made me a better student because the teachers work withyou until you get the subject matter. At HBCUs you learn lifeskills and your black culture. You also learn a lot ofpatience."
Morris Brown College recently lost its appeal to receive itsaccreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges andSchools, something Hogan said is unfair.
"It's a shame that every year black colleges are closeddown or lose their accreditation simply because they run theirschools different than their white counterparts," Hogansaid.
On the other hand, some students said they would rather attend ablack university, but because they are so expensive they goelsewhere.
"The reason many black students cannot attend school isbecause of financial obligations," said Denesa Nicks, atransfer student from Clark Atlanta University. "Many blackstudents would love to attend HBCUs, but because of money issues,they cannot."
Since most HBCUs are private institutions, they do not receivethe same amount of state funding that a public college would,making their tuition extremely higher than most schools.
"I do feel that the high tuition at HBCUs keep a lot ofblack students away," Hogan said. "Because if you can getan education for $3,000 a year versus $19,000 a year, a lot ofpeople who don't know the history behind HBCUs or simply don't havethe opportunity to pay that kind of money, are going to choose thewhite school. And it's sad because thousands of students are forcedto go to the white institutions simply because of money."
Regardless of the reasons students choose not to attend, theirperceptions of HBCUs seem to be the same.
"I feel that by me being here, I'm just anothernumber," Dansby said. "And I don't get a lot of benefits,or I'm not told about a lot of benefits, that I could be having orbe told about at a black school.
"I think it would be a good experience -- black peoplebeing together. But I also think it is not realistic. You have todeal with other races in the world, but I'd probably rather go to ablack school because I'd feel more comfortable."
Nicks also agrees that the benefits you receive at historicallyblack schools, like Florida A&M and Clark Atlanta Universities,are un-measurable.
"I feel that black schools enhance your whole being,"Nicks said. "You are more confident, more culturally aware andyou receive valuable life lessons, something one can only receivewhen attending an HBCU."
| The following is the 2002-03 tuition only ratesaccording to the Peterson's College Guide for State-runinstitutions versus private HBCUs (where most students will pay thesame amount regardless of their state of residence): |
|
The University of Memphis
$3,164 (in-state) The University of Tennessee $3,946 (in-state) Morris Brown College $16,736 (in/out-of-state) Howard University $9,515 (in/out-of-state) |
