March 2015
Vol. 2 Issue 3
HBCU DIGEST
FEATURES HBCU
DIGEST 5 Letter from the Publisher
14 POLITICS 19 SPORTS 20 LEADERSHIP
6 Chandra Minor: Mississippi’s First AfricanAmerican Female Orthodontist By: Alcorn State University Media Relations
22 COMMENTARY HBCU Digest is published monthly by Carter Media Enterprises, LLC.
8 ONYX Awards Honors Florida HBCU Presidents By: Alonda Thomas
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11 FAMU National Alumni Association Announces Largest Class of Distinguished Alumni Honorees By: FAMU NAA Media Relations
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14 HBCU Alumni Blast Obama for Lack of Support By: Jarrett Carter Sr.
You’re sitting in your first class. After initial introductions, you learn that right in front of you is a veteran who has served his country for decades abroad. To your right is a shy young man on his first extended stay since leaving his hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. To your left is an extroverted evangelist and physics major from Nigeria who’s doing research you’ll never be able to pronounce. Finally, just behind you is a biology major from Chicago whose sole passion is to quickly get the foundation from which she someday will return to her neighborhood as a doctor. And you? Well, you immediately realize that you, too, are special. You are an Alabama A&M University student with a powerful mixture of dream, potential and the drive to make it all happen. You are A&M. Nestled in the final stretches of the Appalachians, this hillside campus boasts a location within one of the most liveable cities in the world. Its academics are bolstered by a gifted faculty with a thirst for research and learning. And, diverse undergraduate and graduate degrees offer the more than 5,000 students curricula leading toward Ph.D. degrees in several areas. Join us. Make your first class first-class. From community and regional planning to apparel, merchanising and design to food science and physics--AAMU brings together the world and its views, handing both to you one classroom at a time. Experience Engagement ... Fulfillment ... Celebration!
www.aamu.edu
Letter from the Publisher Greetings, March, while not an easy month by any standard for historically black colleges and the communities they serve, proved to be a period of success for several HBCU campuses. This edition of the HBCU Digest Magazine shares a range of those success stories, spanning the professional achievement of alumni, to campus philanthropic gains and leadership transitions. We congratulate Spelman College and its new presidential appointee, Mary Schmidt Campbell, on the new period of leadership and development for the campus. From all accounts, Dr. Campbell inherits a campus with thriving elements of service and intellectual development within its student body, and an alumnae base eager to continue its tradition of raising the college to national acclaim through giving and individual success. We also congratulate the Thurgood Marshall College Fund on its historic partnership with Apple Inc. to bring scholarship support and training to HBCUs across the country. TMCF continues to build a culture of corporate support in benefit to black colleges, and in turn, a chance for generations of young people studying at HBCUs to put their stamp on the productivity and cultural future of the United States. But with congratulations, also comes caution. In March, the federal Department of Education released a report outlining startling statistics on falling financial support for HBCUs. Black college alumni responded in kind, with a scathing letter to President Barack Obama outlining their concerns, discontent, and hope for the remaining years of his administration. Please enjoy these and other stories in this month's edition, and thank you for your continuing support of the news resource of record for HBCUs. Yours in Advocacy, !
Jarrett Carter Sr.
Chandra Minor: Mississippi’s First African-American Female Orthodontist By: Alcorn State University Media Relations Dr. Chandra Minor, a Hazlehurst, Miss. native with a love for enhancing the smiles of others through dental reconstruction, became a staple in Alcorn’s history after being named Mississippi’s first African-American female orthodontist. Minor opened her own practice, Smile Design Orthodontics, in Pearl, Miss. Nov. 2014. Her practice provides orthodontic services such as traditional metal braces, clear (ceramic) braces, invisalign and self-ligating braces. Minor practices at Smile Design Orthodontics on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m and some Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. She also practices in Vicksburg, Miss. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and McComb, Miss. on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. “Throughout high school and college, I always desired to pursue a career within the healthcare industry,” said Minor. “Through observation of various healthcare professionals and my desire to help improve the self-esteem of others by enhancing their smiles, I decided to pursue a career in orthodontics.” Minor’s road to making history was one that was filled with hard work. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology
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from Alcorn in 2008. She continued her education at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she earned a doctorate of dental medicine in 2012. She later enrolled in Howard University and earned a certificate in orthodontics. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication to become an orthodontist. Dental school requires such a huge commitment. I had several sleepless nights and missed family gatherings in order to prepare myself to succeed in dental school and to be accepted into an orthodontic residency program.” Minor credits her time at Alcorn for her rise to fame in her field. Her alma mater not only prepared her to be successful, but it also shaped her into the woman she is today. “I am so grateful for the experiences and opportunities afforded to me at Alcorn State University. I took courses through the pre-professional program there. Not only did I receive an impeccable education at Alcorn, I also developed valuable social skills and formed lifelong friendships.” Minor’s success is an example to all youth with a dream of making an impact in the world. Her advice to the youth is to stay dedicated to perfecting their craft, all while displaying unwavering faith. “I want all young black people to know that they can accomplish whatever goal they set out to achieve as long as they try their very best and remain persistent. Pray and give it all you’ve got. Hard work and God’s grace will take you wherever you want to go in life.”
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ONYX Awards Honors Florida HBC By: Alonda Thomas The presidents of Florida’s four historically black institutions of higher education were celebrated during the 11th Annual ONYX Awards in Orlando. President Edison O. Jackson of BethuneCookman University in Daytona Beach; President Nathaniel Glover of Edward Waters College in Jacksonville; President Elmira Mangum of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee; and President Roslyn Clark Artis of Florida Memorial University in Miami, were each recognized for their personal leadership achievements and the outstanding work that their students, faculty and staff contribute to the world. Civil Rights Advocate Martin Luther King III,
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Congresswoman Corrine Brown and SBA Regional Administrator Cassius Butts were in attendance to celebrate the exemplary leaders. “Our HBCUs are national treasures that provide an opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to build a solid foundation upon which to achieve an outstanding career and help move society forward,” said ONYX Magazine Publisher Rich Black. “The ONYX Awards committee is proud to take a moment and recognize these transformative leaders who are navigating the path toward a bright future for the next generation of innovators.” Bethune-Cookman University
institution of higher learning, located in Jacksonville, Florida. On April 11, 1995, he made history by being elected as the first African American sheriff in Florida in more than 100 years. In November 2006, President Glover became a special advisor to University of North Florida President John Delaney. Florida Agricultural Mechanical University
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Making history as the first permanent female president in the institution’s 127year legacy, Elmira Mangum, Ph.D., began her tenure as the 11th president of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) on April 1, 2014. From 2010 until her appointment at FAMU, Dr. Mangum served as vice president for planning and budget at Cornell University.
CU Presidents After serving eleven months as interim president, Dr. Edison O. Jackson accepted the appointment to become the sixth president of Bethune-Cookman University on March 20, 2013, bringing with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in administering the affairs of educational institutions. In September 1983, Dr. Jackson served as the executive vice president and chief academic officer at Essex County College in Newark, NJ. He assumed the presidency of Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York on September 1, 1989. Edward Waters College President Nathaniel Glover, Jr. serves as the 29th president of Edward Waters College, Florida’s oldest private
Florida Memorial University President Roslyn Clark Artis was unanimously appointed as the 13th president of Florida Memorial University. She is the first woman president in the University’s history. During her short stint as acting president at Florida Memorial University, Dr. Clark Artis provided immeasurable leadership and direction to the University family at all levels. “Our HBCU’s are a significant cornerstone of the Black community and their mission to educate under-served communities is more critical to the future of our country today than ever before,” said ONYX Awards Advisory Chairman Michelle Tatom. “We salute those individuals working to preserve these great institutions through their philanthropy and social activism.”
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FAMU National Alumni Association Announces Largest Class of
Distinguished Alumni Honorees By: FAMU NAA Media Relations The Florida A&M University National Alumni Association (FAMU-NAA) will induct its largest class of honorees during a black tie gala. The awards, which highlight the professional and personal achievements of FAMU alumni, will be presented to 24 outstanding individuals during the 2015 National Alumni Convention, on May 16, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton in Houston, Texas. “We are excited to present the Distinguished Alumni Awards in Houston as this will be the first time that this event is held away from FAMU’s campus since its creation in 1990,” said Awards Chair Doris Hicks. “With more than 70,000 graduates hailing from FAMU and several deserving candidates nominated for recognition, it made sense to increase the number of honorees that will be celebrated during this 25th Anniversary Black Tie affair.” Honorees include Oscar Joyner, President of the nationally syndicated radio show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, where he manages the Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage Cruise and the Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Honoree Cheryl A. Harris is the Senior Vice President of Sourcing and Procurement Solutions for Allstate Insurance Company. In this role, she is responsible for optimizing Allstate’s
spending portfolio of $14 billion through collaboration with internal business partners. “We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of FAMU’s alumni,” said FAMU NAA President Tommy Mitchell, Sr. “We appreciate everything they do to represent our brand positively through their work and at home through their support and service to their alma mater.” To date, the event has raised more than $25,000 through the support of the honorees. 2015 DISTINGUISHED HONOREES Arts
Education
Victor R. Gaines, c/o 2008 Ineria Hudnell, c/o 1943
Rachel D. Blanks, c/o 2008 William Hudson, c/o 1995 Thomas Haynes, c/o 1977
Business Seabon Dixon, c/o 1975 Emma J. Fountain, c/o 1973 John L. Green, c/o 1969 Cheryl A. Harris, c/o 1989 Milton Jones Jr., c/o 1963 Thomas Jones, Jr., c/o 1977 Oscar Joyner, c/o 1998 Sonia J. Myles, c/o 1985 Twuanna M. Ward, c/o 1986 Communications
Government Rufus Montgomery, c/o 1995 Bobby Powell, Jr., c/o 2003 Law Nicole T. Jones, c/o 2000 Military Steve L. Lewis, c/o 1946
Cecka Rose Green, c/o 1991 Community Service Shirley Carrington, c/o 1966 Jean Downing Jr., c/o 1974 Don Jordan, c/o 1984 Mary Smith, c/o 1975 Earl E. Williams, c/o 1974
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POLITICS
meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
HBCU Alumni Blast Obama for Lack of Support
Our hope regarding the long overdue exchange between you and the CBC would be a spirited collaboration on addressing the financial and social ills that hamper the success of our HBCUs. Instead, what was received resembles a gut punch from you in expressing your “simplification” of the current HBCU story by only one set of metrics, “graduation rates and loan policies”.
The National Historically Black College and Universities Alumni Associations has released a letter written to US President Barack Obama, sharply criticizing his alleged comments about historically black colleges during a February meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. The letter, composed by NHBCUAA President Ty Couey, takes issue with the president’s statements, lack of engagement, and unequal treatment of black colleges. The letter is below, in full. Dear President Obama: First, on behalf of the National Historically Black Colleges & Universities Alumni Associations, LLC (NHBCUAA) and the thousands of HBCU Alumni that we represent, let me express our sincere thanks for all the hard work you have done on behalf of our great nation. Because of your leadership, many social and political issues have been provided a national forum. We are better off as a nation and are certainly moving in the appropriate direction on many of the most critical national issues. Unfortunately, we must address the recent statements made by you at the referenced meeting with the CBC regarding our HBCUs. This letter is transmitted to you to express our disappointment and utter frustration regarding your recent statement regarding the status of HBCUs while
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To only reference “graduation rates and loan policies” as the foundation of our comments about HBCUs ignores much. It does bring into question your understanding of the HBCU community and the tremendous historical value that they have provided for this great nation. We have many in our community, like yourself, who have matriculated at other institutions who believe that they know us better than we know ourselves. Thus, it would have been more appropriate for you to engage us in a dialogue about the topic and determine root causes and viable solutions to perceived and actual problems. It is easy for anyone to state what you stated. We expect more from you than just lumping us in a negative category and making a “flippant remark” such as you made to our CBC and HBCU Leadership. We desire better engagement from you and shall press all concerned parties to rally on this topic and make it a national topic of discussion. For too long, we have been told that our issues are not of sufficient magnitude and importance to others. I am truly reminded of that fact as I
reflect on the movie Selma and hearing President Johnson utter those same sentiments. What if Dr. King had listened to him and not pursued the march for voting rights? I wonder what impact that would have had upon your desire to achieve the high office of President of these United States of America. Be mindful that we “black folk� are citizens of this great nation and desire the same level of respect, admiration and support that all citizens expect and demand. I trust that these words will resonate with some portion of your soul that understands the disparate treatment of HBCUs when it comes to funding and sustainment that our majority institutions of higher education have enjoyed for hundreds of years. Being a scholar and student of history, we truly expected you to know and appreciate the facts regarding education of blacks through HBCUs and work to address them in an appropriate manner. Instead, you seem to have chosen the typical majority path of speaking to one set of metrics and ignoring the huge body of data that represents who and what the HBCU community is. Please be mindful that thousands of our graduates were the strongest supporters of your campaign in 2008 and again in 2012.
What you have expressed in this statement confirms for all too many that you have been less of a friend and champion to a community that has supported you and your initiatives. We welcomed the opportunity to engage with you and like-minded persons in a serious discussion of how to improve the current state of affairs for our beloved HBCUs. Once again, our hopes are dashed, but not destroyed. We will survive your statements and your administration and press onward to ensure that our HBCUs survive and prosper. Please let us know if you wish to be a part of that history versus being recorded as the President who stated that HBCUs need to close if they cannot get it together.
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Bill Calling For Transfer of UAPB School of Agriculture Withdrawn A bill calling for the transfer of the University of Arkansas-Pine Buff School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences was withdrawn in committee this month. The withdrawal followed weeks of large response from alumni and supporters of UAPB on social media. Arkansas House Democrat Camille Bennett, who authored the original bill, posted a statement on her Facebook page, calling reaction to the bill’s intent and language ‘misconceptions.’ The university’s agricultural heritage and accomplishments in this field are not only a source of pride, they also play a major role in Arkansas’s economy. Working in coordination with UAPB administrators we have reached a resolution that maintains and even expands the diagnostic testing facility in Lonoke, which will enhance the existing aquaculture program and better facilitate testing for our commercial fish farmers. Moving the aquaculture program was never an option. I hope this clarifies some of the misconceptions that may have been out there on the intent and scope of this legislation.
We were understandably concerned when we learned earlier this week that a bill was filed in the Arkansas legislature concerning our Aquaculture program, a signature program created and supported by our institution from its inception. We are pleased to inform you that House Bill 1838 was withdrawn this morning. We appreciate the UA System, our legislative delegation and other legislators who assisted us in bringing this matter to a conclusion. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is proud of all of its academic programs and the contributions the institution has made in teaching, research, service, and outreach. We want to reassure our students, faculty, staff, agricultural stakeholders, alumni and all others who support UAPB of our unwavering commitment to our land-grant mission, and of the institution’s role as an economic partner in Pine Bluff, our region and our state. From HB 1838: By no later than August 2, 2015: The University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture shall develop and implement a diagnostic lab at the Lonoke extension service; and The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, College of Agriculture shall transfer all assets, equipment, grants and other funds to the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture.
In a statement, UAPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander applauded the work of the legislature, and of the community in its response to the proposed bill.
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Report: Federal Funding to HBCUs Decreased in 2012 A report from the Department of Education shows that federal funding for historically black colleges and universities decreased in 2012. The report, released earlier this month by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, reveals that 22 out of 32 federal agencies provided nearly $4.8 billion in funding to HBCUs, which accounted for 2.7 percent of all funds awarded to colleges and universities nationwide. The total funding amount, which counts grants, contracts, federal financial aid awards to HBCU students and educational assistance programs, was
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$401 million less than HBCU funding awarded in 2011. Without federal student loans, HBCUs received only $1,227,116,047 or 3.41 percent of all funds awarded to higher education institutions. While the percentage of total funds awarded to HBCUs was the third lowest between 2007 and 2012, actual dollarsto-institutions was the lowest over the same period - with an approximate average of over $11 million for each of the nation’s 105 black colleges. The largest areas of funding from federal government, excluding scholarships and tuition which are earmarked for students and not specific institutions, included research and development, professional training, physical plant enhancement and direct institutional support.
SPORTS Southern Reassigns Athletic Director William Broussard
April.
Tiger Woods Endows Golf Management Scholarship Fund at UMES
Southern University Athletic Director William Broussard has been reassigned to a new position within the system office, the Department of Athletics announced. While an explanation for the reassignment was not given, sources within the system say the move was not disciplinary, or part of any investigation into athletics for any wrongdoing. SU Head Mens’ Basketball Coach Roman Banks will replace Dr. Broussard as acting athletic director on April 1, with system officials announcing his Broussard’s expected return on Aug. 1.
Hired in 2012, the SU athletic department has contended with a postseason ban in all sports following an NCAA review into improper academic progress reporting dating back to 2009. Since his appointment, Southern has captured conference championships in football and men’s and women’s basketball, and haas broken new ground in fundraising and recruitment. Dr. Broussard received a three-year contract extension and pay raise last
Pro golf icon Tiger Woods has given $10,000 to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to establish a scholarship fund in support of the school’s golf management degree program. The gift and fund honor Charles Sifford, who became the first African American to compete on the PGA Tour in 1961. The fund will support educational and professional development for minority students in the nation’s only historically black golf management degree program, which prepares graduates for executive,careers in hospitality, business and leadership within an industry which generates more than $68 billion annually. “The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is honored to accept this generous gift from Tiger Woods to support our professional golf management program and to partner with us in acknowledging Dr. Sifford’s role as a sports pioneer,” UMES President Juliette B. Bell said.
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LEADERSHIP
two mayors, and was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as vicechairman of the Committee on Arts and Humanities.
Spelman Names Mary Schmidt Campbell as President
"I am delighted by the selection of Dr. Campbell as the 10th president of Spelman College. Dr. Campbell has an extraordinary profile with the experience, energy, and passion that matches what the Spelman community identified as important to lead our college into the next chapter," said Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Vice Chair, Spelman College Board of Trustees and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee.
Spelman College announced former New York University dean and associate provost Mary Schmidt Campbell as its 10th president. Dr. Campbell, whose career in higher education and the arts spans more than two decades and major appointments in civic and federal capacities, is an alumna of Swarthmore College and Syracuse University. She served as commissioner of cultural affairs in New York City under
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Dr. Campbell will begin at Spelman on Aug. 1.
Apple to Donate $40 Million to Thurgood Marshall College Fund for HBCU Support Apple Inc will donate more than $40 million to historically black colleges to spur diversity in computer science and engineering leadership. Fortune Magazine reports that the gift will be given to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in benefit to 47 public HBCUs. The funds will be used to grant scholarships to students majoring in computer science, training for students and faculty, and to establish a paid internship program to hire promising HBCU students at Apple. Officials say it is one of the largest gifts to any HBCU advocacy organization, and among the most comprehensive training partnerships ever conceived in benefit to black colleges. “People are at Harvard and MIT looking for their students,” says (Thurgood Marshall College Fund President and CEO Johnny) Taylor. “But Apple said, there are some really talented individuals at these [HBCU] schools.”
Jackson State President Receives Four-Year Contract Extension Jackson State University President Carolyn Meyers received a four-year extension of her employment contract from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees. Meyers, who was appointed as JSU President in 2010, has increased enrollment, implemented satellite and distance learning options for students,
was lauded by trustees for her leadership and expansion of the university's mission. "Dr. Meyers has taken Jackson State's mission as Mississippi's only urban university very seriously, expanding opportunities for students throughout the metro area and beyond," said Trustee Alan Perry, Vice President of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning." By expanding into Madison County and downtown Jackson, the university is reaching out to students, particularly non-traditional students who have family and work responsibilities, who may not otherwise have an opportunity to earn a degree and fulfill their dreams."
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COMMENTARY Cookie Lyon, Carolina Politics and the Evolution of HBCU Advocacy Howard University alumna Taraji P. Henson recently earned headlines for insisting that her son transfer to HU following a racial profiling incident at his previous school, the University of Southern California. The move, thought by some to be a statement of social justice advocacy, was as powerful a pop cultural statement on the value of HBCUs as it was on the eroding state of respectability politics for black students at predominantly white schools. “My child has been racially profiled. He was in Glendale, California and did exactly everything the cops told him to do, including letting them illegally search his car. It was bogus because they didn’t give him the ticket for what he was pulled over for. Then he’s at University of Southern California, the school that I was going to transfer him to, when police stopped him for having his hands in his pockets. So guess where he’s going? Howard University. I’m not paying $50K so I can’t sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus.” Around the same time, University of North Carolina Board of Governors Member Harry Smith was on the record declaring a new day of austerity for the state’s higher education system. He didn’t mince words on the prospect of HBCUs being a singular target in the effort to save preserve costs for the state.
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Campuses with low enrollments, subpar graduation, retention and job placement rates, as well as the state’s five public historically black colleges (HBCUs) will face tough questions, he said. “It’s my personal opinion that it’s way too big,” Smith said, about the UNC system. “I’d like to look at the entire system and see how many campuses we need.” “People have been ducking this conversation for a long time,” Smith said. Neither of these perspectives on HBCUs is surprising. Henson has long been vocal in her support for Howard and all historically black colleges, even starring in a film about Tennessee State University’s golf program. For a tenured celebrity to attach HBCU advocacy to a Black America’s trending focus on social justice is not only warranted, but desperately needed. Smith’s comments aren’t surprising either. A 2013 New York Times editorial, “The Decline of North Carolina” editorial brought to the nation’s attention the casualties of Republican politics on poverty, public education and voting rights. And two years later, the state is largely ignoring the rebuke of citizens and observers alike in favor of a more oppressed state. Their ideologies can teach us a lot about the way we look at HBCUs. Those of us reared in HBCU communities and campuses can relate to the anecdotal, life-changing power of the HBCU experience. The notions of caring professors, exposure to the diversity of the African Diaspora, professional networking, the legacy of social justice
and community mobility is something with which all of our physical senses and cultural sensibilities can identify. And so we fight government attempts to close or marginalize our campuses, all the while knowing that what is best about HBCU culture cannot and is not measured for federal higher education data. While we know that the HBCU is a conscious choice and not a last resort for most students, we also realize that the lack of success by students given a shot at college who otherwise would not have it is what fuels the anti-HBCU narrative. The lives that are saved and the communities which are improved because of the HBCU aren’t reflected in graduation or retention rates, or sprawling campuses, or powerful sports teams in NCAA competition. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of HBCU benefit, but in the public square, it is not a storyline good enough to counter the questions of relevance, resources and respect. State legislators attack an HBCU, alumni and students rally and bring national attention, the legislators fall back and grumble about how black students and public dollars would be better off going somewhere else, so they withhold more funds during the next budget cycle. We’ve seen it play out in attacks on Southern University of New Orleans, Albany State University, Florida A&M University, Elizabeth City State University, South Carolina State University, and recently, the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. So to bring more black students to HBCUs, to convince more black people of the importance of HBCU
sustainability, both Henson and Smith’s perspectives must become second nature in our advocacy and outreach strategies. HBCUs must do a better job of establishing and promoting professional networks, in bringing established alumni back to campus to serve as mentors and donors, and in connecting corporations to the campus for career and philanthropic pipelines. It is the duty of our institutions to connect with alumni and students, and to develop them as recruiters, spokespersons, fundraisers and legislative lobbyists for HBCUs. Those which do not take these steps, or believe that they will always have a decent crosssection of students to make tuition goals, will not have the chance at a rude awakening; they will be dead. Compassion and productivity are not mutually exclusive, but until we make the connection between the two, we should be frightened at the prospect of a caring Hollywood star being our best hope against higher education officials with their eyes on the data and their fingers on triggers.
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