Being A Non-Black Student At A Historically Black Institution | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Being A Non-Black Student At A Historically Black Institution

Exploring the reasoning.

474
Being A Non-Black Student At A Historically Black Institution
http://thereelhouse.com

“Historically Black College and University” is a term coined by the federal government to define a HBCU as a school of higher learning whose principal mission was and is the education of African Americans and was accredited and established before 1964. There are 100 HBCUs across America right now and some of their main missions is to educate their students with a college education but also tutelage in black culture and history. It was my decision to commit to getting my education from the first HBCU in America, Cheyney University. I will be exploring non–black students reasons for attending HBCUs and the benefits they receive from staying in attendance.

As a product of an interracial marriage, I spent my whole life surrounded by many different cultures. I thought of myself as a proverbial melting pot of cultures. I had learned about a little bit of everything as I grew and tried to put all that knowledge to use when dealing with other people. When I arrived at Cheyney, I realized that I had been overestimating how much I knew about the African American culture.

This was true for more than one form of education, not only what I would learn in the classroom, but also the social behaviors that I observed and picked up while making new friends. Most students attending HBCUs are black, a portion of those students will come into college with knowledge from their families on their culture, and another portion will come with no knowledge at all. The non–black students in attendance will come in even more clueless than the already clueless black students. Rob Shorette summarizes this idea eloquently in an interview about his HBCU experience.

“Many aspects of my education that were supremely influential to my development, I seemed to have absorbed naturally and almost assumed it was what everyone was learning in college, such as the fact that books from authors like Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston served as the primary texts in my English courses, the fact that I was hearing my classmates provide diverse African-American perspectives in every class on my schedule, the fact that I was participating regularly in discussions that challenged me to think differently about the issues of people of color, and the list goes on.”

This type of education is essential to becoming a well-rounded student. Without a good understanding of other culture's deep roots we cannot begin to understand their struggles. These lessons in cultures don’t just apply to the non-black students, everyone in attendance at a HBCU benefits from these lessons. These classes are offered at some other institutions, however, at HBCUs they are required curriculum. An example of these classes would be African American Experience in a Global Context.

As a non–black student on a campus that is 95 percent black students, I fully understand what it is like to be the minority. I have been the minority in more ways than one my whole life. Most white students, however, are not used to or comfortable with this idea. That is one of the main reasons the average HBCU lacks racial diversity, but I feel that it is important for any well-rounded individual to understand what being a minority in any sense feels like. Non–black student enrollment at HBCUs has had a slight, but noticeable increase over the past few years. This increase caused an influx of articles on this topic. JoVon McCalester, a professor at Howard University, expresses the positive effects of a white student attending an HBCU in few words.

“I think a white person attending an HBCU is a positive thing and fosters a couple of different perspectives. One, I think it gives white students a chance to be a minority and therefore the ability to be more sympathetic to minorities in society.”

This experience also helps to prepare students for the real world. In a NBC News special, Lezli Baskerville, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education CEO, gives her opinion on the slight increase in attendance.

“Whites who attend the schools are preparing for an increasingly black and brown world if you want to know how to live in one, you can’t grow up in an all-white neighborhood, go to a predominantly white school, white cultural and social events, go to a predominantly white university and then thrive in a world that is today more black, more brown than before.”

Baskerville and McCalaster’s views on the increase in attendance serve as a good sample of most people’s opinions. Becoming a minority and having the ability to be more empathic towards minority cultures gives the student the ability to think outside of the box that they were unknowingly trapped in. As our society continues to grow we will need more people capable of thinking like that.

Here at Cheyney University, I am a student in the Keystone Honors program. This is a close-knit program comprised of a few hundred honors students most of whom are attending the university with a full ride. I know personally this scholarship was a large factor in me coming to Cheyney. Had I not been offered such a good scholarship I would have gone to a completely different school. Leaving college debt-free is a no-brainer for most potential students.

Diversity is very a very important factor for colleges. When there is a lack of diversity at any college they can get into a lot of financial trouble. State-run schools can lose portions of their funding and private institutions cannot attract all the students they need without diversity. At an HBCU to solve this problem, they offer scholarships to the students that will help fill their quotas.

“Private, historically black schools cost an average of $10,000 less per year than their traditionally white counterparts. White students are being actively recruited, and attracting them has become easier for a variety of reasons, including the offer of scholarships and lower tuitions than those paid at non-black schools”

College debt is one of the most predominate crippling debts in America. Seven out of ten college graduates leave their university with outstanding debt, the average being around $2500 than one where they are less scholarships.

“Howard offered me an athletic scholarship that covered a portion of the tuition and an academic scholarship that paid for the rest. It was more money than Marymount had offered me […] it was a no brainer; I accepted the offer.”

The average HBCU has a 7-13 percent non–black student population. In this population, you will find a plethora of students with different skills and perspectives. A majority of these students will be the recipients of some substantial financial aid packages. While they are all different by these standards some things will not change. The ones who decide to continue attending an HBCU will undoubtedly be more well-rounded than their counterparts, who decided to attend a predominantly white institution.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

178782
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

5971
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451643
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22806
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments