HBCUS, COVID AND YOU Community influence/own in this country? Not businesses. There are approximately 125,000 Black owned businesses in the Let’s look at the importance of United States. https://www.census.gov/ Historically Black Colleges and newsroom/press-releases/2020/annualUniversities, their educational delivery (and business-survey-data.html expenses) as a result of COVIC and your There are approximately 33 million direct connection to HBCUs. businesses in the United States. (https://www. Who Attends or Works with Historically bizjournals.com/albany/news/2019/04/11/ number-of-businesses-in-the-united-states. Black Colleges? html). 125,000 Black owned businesses out The 100+ Historically Black Colleges and of 33 million businesses is less than 1% of Universities (HBCUs) are impacted by all businesses in this country. We must and COVID, just as you and I are. Why should will do better. you care about the state of HBCUs, COVID, Online instruction and the well-being of Unfortunately, there are few places where HBCUs? United Negro College Fund shares the Black community currently has influence. (https://uncf.org/programs/the-audacity-to- Black churches and Black colleges are lead) that 70% of all Black doctors, 50% of spheres in which we have major influence. Black engineers and 35% of Black lawyers Each couple of years, we hear Ohio legislators and others bring forward desires to merge graduated from HBCUs. Central State University with a primarily You have family, friends and/or co-workers white university. The missions, mentoring that attend/have attended HBCUs. My wife, and networking of those two entities are Dr. Triphinia Harris-Jones graduated from different and this should not be done. When Fisk University, an HBCU. My doctor you hear this idea being floated, make your graduated from Howard University’s Medical thoughts known. HBCUs impact you. School. Our Editor Ray Miller was on the Board of Trustees for Central State University HBCUs are important to us because that is for several years. HBCU graduates are leaders where many of our key leaders (business, in our community, i.e. Vice President Kamala human rights, governmental officials, Harris (Howard University) and Chair of the etc.) were groomed. Much of the young Congressional Black Caucus U.S. House of Black impetus in key human rights issues Representative’s Joyce Beatty (Central State originates and is influenced by dialogue held on Black campuses. The graduation rate for University). Black students is higher at HBCUs than at Many of the administrators, faculty and predominately white colleges. Mentoring and others at Wilberforce University and Central networking occurs at HBCUs as part of their State University live in Dayton, Cincinnati mission and everyday work (see the mission statement on the various colleges’ websites). and Columbus. Parents, students and others, HBCUs can I lived in the dormitory and went to school at provide students an accelerated step up. Central State during my high school summers HBCUs impact you. via the Upward Bound High School program. Central State’s Upward Bound program also COVID and HBCU Online Instruction brought us high school students to its campus each quarter, on the weekends. Education, Moving from face-to-face courses to online mentoring and reinforcement continued. courses is expensive in time, people and The program also provided a monetary money. Online Learning Management stipend, which really helped. Wilberforce Systems cost money and training is needed. University and Central State University The following describe some of the responses are across the street from each other, in a that occurred at HBCUs in response to rural Ohio campus like atmosphere. This COVID. Let’s think about COVID, its impact rural area was refreshing, allowed me to be on technology and the resulting changes reflective and was very different from the those technology changes have on HBCUs’ West Side of Dayton, where I grew up. All ability to deliver education. COVID and its of this education and mentoring adequately effect on the world has changed the focus of prepared me for college, when I graduated technology. As a result, this change in the from high school. I have been mentored by, focus of technology affects HBCUs. Let’s networked and interacted with the professors look at those impacts below, so that we and administrators from that period, all of my handle the changes well. adult life. This is usual HBCU mentorship. Central State University in Wilberforce HBCUs impacted me. By Cecil Jones, MBA
Why Are HBCUs Important for Our “Following the guidance given by Gov. DeWine, Central State University will Community? conduct classes strictly online for the We should influence and impact positively remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. The whenever and wherever we can. Giving above strategy is to address the disruption up influence is something in which we caused by the threat of COVID-19.” (https:// should not specialize. What does the Black www.centralstate.edu/academics/provost/ index.php?num=9)
35
Wilberforce University in Wilberforce Wilberforce University shares: (https:// wilberforce.edu/statement-to-the-universitycommunity-response-to-coronaviruscovid-19/August 8, 2020) “Over the last several weeks, the circumstances that occasioned our initial decision to return in a hybrid teaching and learning format for the fall semester have changed significantly. We have been forced to recognize our vulnerability to the coronavirus and our inability to control behavior and the subsequent spread of the coronavirus.” Bennett College in Greensboro, NC Bennett communicates: “Bennett is among a growing number of U.S. colleges opting for online-only instruction. In late June, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities were planning for a virtual fall and nearly two-thirds expected to hold most of their classes in-person. As of a week ago, the number of schools going onlineonly this fall had risen to 14 percent, but the number planning for only or mostly face-to-face classes had dropped to less than half.” (https://www.bennett.edu/news/ bennett-college-was-the-first-n-c-schoolto-announce-that-it-will-offer-only-virtualclasses-during-the-upcoming-fall-semesterbecause-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/) Spelman College in Atlanta Spelman provides its impact: Important On-Campus Visit Update (https:// www.spelman.edu/admissions/visit-us) “Spelman College made the difficult decision to suspend large campus gatherings as we work to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. All campus recruitment activities continue to be canceled, including scheduled family and group tours. In place of on-campus events & visits, the Office of Admissions is hosting various virtual information sessions and events throughout the year to connect with prospective students.” Some, not all, of the questions and answers provided on Spelman’s website are below. These are classic questions with which HBCUs are asking, answering and seeking assistance. Also, you may want to ask your children’s K-12 school some of the below. From Spelman’s website: (https://www. spelman.edu/academics/path-forwardspring-2021) and Spring 2021 FAQ (https:// www.spelman.edu/academics/path-forwardspring-2021/spring-2021-faq). To maintain Spelman’s academic excellence and mitigate against the spread of COVID-19, in spring 2021, the College plans to implement a low density, hybrid model with significant proactive health and safety protocols, including required COVID-19 testing, symptom tracking and monitoring, Continued on Page 36
The Columbus & Dayton African American 2021 The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015
