Free tuition for HBCUS

The president of Howard University Dr. Wayne Frederick propose that HBCUS should be added into the plan for free tuition at community colleges for two years. He wants others to have the same high quality education for free, so that they can have the same opportunities. Personally,  I don't think that HBCUS should be added to the plan. HBCUS are their own school while community college is where you go to get your basic credits to move on to another college, like an HBCU.  If these schools want more students to come, then they should give out more full rides, or be more giving with financial aid.  Adding HBCUS to the community college plan will not help these schools.  

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The demise of an already slippery slope

HBCUS are neglected more and more ever since the Brown vs Board of Education case ended separation of schools.  Most kids first choice is an Ivy league,or a well known state school. HBCUS are put on the back burner. Another reason why kids don't go to HBCUS anymore is because some of those schools have problems that can be too much to handle.  Even though I would still go to a HBCU I know that there are still some big problems that need to be fixed, but these schools should not be neglected because of some strange ideology that HBCUS have worse education than other schools, because that is not true.  These schools not only give a great education,  but they spotlight black people making a name for themselves everyday.

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Mentorship

Sometimes students need support from people who have had experience with your career, just to give some encouragement to make it through the college journey. Mentorship not give great relationships that can last for years, but they also develop important connections that can help students in the long run. For African Americans, mentorship is vital in college. In world that is set up against black people, it can benefit other African Americans by seeing their own kind making their own kinds of success in America. Also, some kids need a little boost during college. Something that will help them brave through the struggles. Nurturing is one of the best concepts, but it is often neglected

Thanks to this article for inspiring to make this post

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National Society of Black Engineers

Even if you don't want (or afford) to go to a HBCU, there are always organizations that you could join that support black people, but this one means a lot to me because it relates to what I would like to major in: Engineering!

The National Society of Black Engineers has five objectives, as stated on their website:

There are a lot of chapters in different colleges and even some in participating high schools and middle schools. The organization does frequent competitions for children interested and engineering from middle school to high school and it gives out scholarships and helps to establish connections in the Engineering field for college students.

It is great to see organizations owned by black people, for black people, and out to further black excellence

Famous HBCU Graduates

It may come as a shock to you but there are a lot of famous and influential people who came from HBCUS, here is a list of some of my favorites

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Morehouse

Taraji P. Henson went to Howard

Common went to Florida A&M

Erykah Badu went to Grambling but dropped out

I hope this post shows that it's HBCUS have some very well known graduates and that could be you someday!!!!!!!!!!!

The Infamous debate: PWIs Vs HBCUS

Now this talk about about which college is the right one has been going on for a while, I even remember when I was little some of the adults that I remember would talk about how nobody should go to an HBCU. On the other side, others would defend HBCUs and how they are the only college for African Americans. So who was right?

In my opinion, both of the sides are wrong because you cannot praise one and bash the other, it just makes the other side seem bias. People have to recognize that you can still defend HBCUs while valuing PWIs because they have there place in America (i know all these UVA and University of Okhalhoma scandals make it seem like they don't). Now for me, I never thought I would say that last sentence because I thought that most PWIs were hurting the black community, but that is not true. The fact that African Americans are going to college is a feat in itself and the last thing other African Americans need to do is shame someone because they chose a PWI over a HBCU. Especially when money comes into play; God knows how expensive it is to even apply for college, let along stay for four years.

To sum it all up: If you get accepted to a PWI with a scholarship and a good program for your major Vs. no scholarship to an HBCU, you should choose the PWI and vice verse with HBCUs. Don't look at HBCUS as places that are easy to get into or not as rigorous as PWIs. I think what I am trying to say here is do not go in debt for college, even if it is your dream school.

The Black Ivy League

Now everyone knows about the Ivy colleges (Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, and the rest of them) that have taken over the hearts of most high school students because they emulate the highest class of colleges of America, But, there is another choice for all you high school juniors and seniors and its the Black Ivies!!!!!!!

Honestly, these are just schools that some magazine deemed the best, but it has a cool name to it

   Now this is a pretty outdated (like 1998 or 99 outdated) so I will put some of my favorite HBCUS mixed in with old favorites. And I am not going to be too in depth with these colleges and say more of my opinion on them (because there is always Google)

(in no particular order) 

1. Hampton University
This school is located in Hampton, Virginia know as the school "by the water". It is one of the oldest and has one of the biggest endowments for HBCUS toppling at 288 million . For the longest time this was my dream school. I was set on going here because they have really good program for engineering (they also have a five year program for medicine) , but then I saw some bad reviews on their dorms and that turned me off, but this school still has a special place in my heart. 

2. Spellman College 
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this school is one of the top liberal arts school in the country (like around the ranks of Swathmore, Harverford top). I never was interested in Spellman because it had the two things that I did not want in a school, all girls and in the south, but it is a really good school. If you want an all girls college in the south, you should definetely check out Spellman. 

3. Morehouse College 
Also located in Atlanta, Georgia, it is also one the top liberal arts schools in America, maybe even higher than Spellman. Now I never considered this school because it is all boys but it a top notch school, it might be one of the best HBCUS too. 

4. Fisk University
Located in Nashville, Tennessee this is also a liberal arts school, but it has a very unique program. Its natural sciences graduates the most African Americans, who go on to get PhDs, than any other college in America. So if you want to go there for any science degrees, then Fisk is just for you!

5. Tuskegee University
Located in Tuskegee, Alabama and founded by the well know Booker T. Washington, it is one of the top HBCUs. I heard that its engineering program is very prestigious and well known in the HBCU. I was actually considering Tuskegee just for its engineering program, but it is in the South so I probably will not apply, but if you don't mind the south I would suggest Tuskegee (they also have a tution free scholarship for those who have high GPAs and SAT or ACT scores) 

6. Howard University
Located in our nation's capital Washington, DC and known as the "mecca" Howard is (for me) the best HBCU. I try not to play favorites but there so much to like about Howard. Many of their undergraduates go on the top graduate schools like Harvard and Yale. The location is perfect because there is so much to do in DC area and there are various undergraduate and graduate programs at Howard. They also have a full tuition scholarship which is definitely plus. Howard is my number one choice right now for colleges, but something may change, but even if it does I would still recommend Howard to the fullest. 

Happy college searching!!!!!!!!!! :)

Some of my favorite twitters

Now sometimes I scroll on twitter and look up random things and celebrities twitters  because why not? who doesn't love wasting time on the internet??????

Recently I have seen some twitters that support the black cause so I decide to spotlight them, (and a bonus tumblr account)

1. Anti_Intellect
This twitter hails up and down about the importance of HBCUS and why black people should still go to them. But, I must warn all of you that his opinions are not for the faint of heart. Meaning that even though he advocates HBCUS to the grave, he somewhats bash black people who go to PWIs for some reason, (i don't really know why). Even though he can be one sided, I enjoy his commentary on HBCUS and current issues today.

2.  Black Wall Street
This account spotlights black owned businesses and black entrepreneurs all around America. Now this one is way more positive than the first one and I think it gives purpose to this Twitter world. We all have to support our people. It is how Americans want other Americans to buy items made in America, but with black people!

3. Black Cognizance
This account is leaning towards an opinion account, but I think that what they have to say is worthwhile, especially during these racially charged times. Most of the times they talk about current issues in the black community and just bringing light all the injustices relating to black people. Also they have an instagram called blackhistory where they talk about influential black people that they don't mention in school or general conversations.

A tumblr account: blkproverbs (pronounce black proverbs)
I am not going to say a lot about this account I am just going to let it speak for itself but it is just common sayings that black people say. It is somewhat like AAVE (African american vernacular English) but it is just so funny because I hear half of the stuff on this tumblr in real life.

Happy Internet scrolling!

Famous African American Artists

In honor of Black History Month, I decide to spotlight African American artists from back in the day, because who doesn't love to see some good art!

1. Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937)- The Seine c.1902, oil on canvas
Tanner was born in Pittisburgh, Pa where he went on an studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Tanner had some success in the United States but his art thrived in European countries like France. The painting shows a boat traveling through a pinkish sky through Paris







2. Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000)- Street to Mbari, 1964
Lawrence was born around the time of the Harlem Renaissance, where many black artists gained their fame. Many of Lawrence's paintings are based on the colors of Harlem and can be seen through his dynamic cubism style of painting. This painting shows a busy day in Nigeria, which is based on a visit Lawrence took to Nigeria.

3. Alma Thomas (1891-1978)- Red Rose Cantata, 1973, acrylic on canvas

Thomas started out as a art teacher in Shaw Junior  High School, after graduating from Howard University. Many of her works are described as representational in her earlier works, but abstract in her later works. The abstract painting is canvas way of a describing a cantata, which is a musical composition

Short Documentary on PWIs and HBCUs

I found this very interesting documentary on the differences between HBCUs and PWIs called Blurred Lines: A Short Documentary on HBCUs and PWIs. It has perspectives of African Americans in different age ranges. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Brief History on HBCUS

HBCUS were not always part of America's history. Before the 1860s, there were only three universities that served freed slaves, which were Cheney University, Lincoln University (both are in Pennsylvania) and Wilberforce University. After the Civil War, an act called The First Morrill Act  allowed post secondary (college) education to be available to all citizens, including freed slaves. Then the Freedmen's Bureau was established and helped to set up more school around the South. After the Second Morrill Act was passed, there were around nineteen HBCUs, but there were still issues with the treatment of African American colleges versus the treatment of white colleges. Until  the Plessy vs Ferguson case when the court decided that African Americans should be allowed to have "separate but equal" facilities. Then, many HBCUS, like other resources, struggled during the Great Depression. Not until the Brown vs. Board of Education where African Americans were allowed to attend all white institutions. Now there are over 100 HBCUS that serve a purpose for African Americans.