Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Why They're Essential in the 21st Century
"My dad was my mentor," said Rust College sophomore Braque Talley. "In my house, it was undisputed. You had to have some form of higher education." Recognizing many children lack such a positive influence, he is involved in the male mentorship program at Rust. "We work with freshmen who are first-generation students. We know we're not perfect, but we try to steer them in the right direction. We also go into the Holly Springs community three or four times a month to visit with elementary and junior-high students and to let them know college is a possibility." A political science major, Talley fell in love with Rust College as soon as he visited the campus. "I liked the homey atmosphere; everyone was so nice and eager to help," he explains. A Lina H. McCord ambassador for the Black College Fund, Talley is an active member of Boyd Chapel United Methodist, Starkville, Miss.
Adds Eboni Lemon, a student at Clark Atlanta University, "I wanted to go to a school that had the same values I grew up with. The fact that it is a United Methodist school and a historically Black college is also a big plus. They cater to your needs. I really like that because I went to a big high school and know what it feels like to be a number. I've learned more about where I've come from here than I ever learned in history books. I have much more personal confidence and sense of identity. They've taught me to believe in myself."
Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas, provided Audrey Moorehead just the spark she needed to succeed. "My parents knew I was at risk in a larger school," she recalls. "At Huston-Tillotson I was encouraged to do public speaking, to run for student government and to pursue leadership in other campus organizations. I learned I had a responsibility to the community." Moorehead, who now practices family law in Dallas, credits her "family of professors" at Huston-Tillotson for fueling her fire.
"I am a child of the Central Jurisdiction," notes Josefa Bethea Wall. "I grew up connected to church and to church-related schools." If there is a legacy as strong as the Methodist roots Bethea Wall inherited from her parents, it is her connection to Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C. Bennett was a second home for young Bethea Wall. It's also the alma mater of her mother, grandmother and godmother. "I understood the significance of continuing the legacy, and I knew at a small, historically Black college, I would be nurtured."
Religion and philosophy major Donta Brown, is a product of the male-mentorship program at Claflin University, Orangeburg, S.C., and today he himself is a mentor. "I try to help young Black males to achieve their goals," he says. The Johns Island, S.C., native also serves as a Lina H. McCord ambassador for the Black College Fund.
In their own words, these five students or alumni of historically Black colleges and universities share the importance of continuing the legacy today.
These institutions of higher education, which have always been open to all students, have faculty and student body of different races, even as they are labeled historically Black colleges and universities. They educate leaders who affect all of society, a few of which include current and former United Methodist bishops, the current president of Brown University, and a former treasurer of the United States. Their latest programs include pre-eminent research of malaria vaccinations and of heart disease in women, a PhD in Social Work Planning and Administration, and competitive degrees in education. The impact of the leadership fostered at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is worldwide.
One professor put it this way: "Yes, I expect you to go out and make a lot of money, but it's about more than that. I expect you to make a difference."
Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook, president emeritus of Dillard University, New Orleans, remarks, "Black colleges are sources and catalysts of leadership for the church, culture and the professions as well as shining examples of cultural pluralism, educational diversity, integrity, justice, humanistic consciousness and ethical sensitivity, and the liberal arts tradition. They effectively and passionately bridge the communities of faith and learning."
Article provided by the Black College Fund and the United Methodist Black Colleges.
Black College Fund-supported institutions are typically located in marginalized communities and often serve students who may not be able to afford an advanced education. Of the 16,000 students attending United Methodist Black colleges and universities, 90 percent qualify for financial aid. The schools keep tuition relatively low so students with low incomes may attend. At Black College Fund-supported schools, everyone with a dream and a commitment to excel is eligible to enroll, regardless of race, class, gender or ethnic heritage. The fund provides a constant and reliable way to support the colleges' operations, programs and capital improvements to keep them competitive in higher education.
