preview

Are Hbcus Still Relevant Essay

Decent Essays

Imagine a time when equality was not available to all. Imagine a time when the realization of one's dream depended solely on the color of one's skin. The dream of achieving a college education and reaching for the stars in an attempt to achieve lifelong dreams became a dream deferred for many African Americans in the early years of this great nation. Dreams of becoming a doctor, an attorney, or an engineer were completely off limits for African Americans because of this country's rigid caste system. Because of slavery and Jim Crow laws, society forced Blacks to do menial jobs, which kept the majority of them stuck in the country's lower class, praying for a day when equality would be available for all. From the Middle Passage to the emancipation …show more content…

This debate has led many scholars to question: Are HBCUs still relevant, and are they the best institutions to train our next generation of leaders? For Tisha Smith, who attended both a HBCU and a traditional university, the experience at a Black college was the best. Growing up in a predominately-White neighborhood, Smith's environment taught her very little about her own culture. Growing up as a minority in an affluent neighborhood, she experienced many instances of bigotry and intolerance from her peers. She often found herself the only Black face in her classroom, and sometimes felt she did not fit in with the larger culture that surrounded her. However, by attending a HBCU, she became more aware of her culture and felt a sense of security and belonging that she did not feel while attending a traditional college. Attending a HBCU also shielded her from the racism she experienced as a child, and allowed her to experience life as an individual and not a

Get Access