Historically Black Colleges and Universities have a unique and substantial history engraved in the United States. No one person or institution has created the nationwide legacy of HBCUs as we know it. The essence we know and see today is evidence of hard work and determination from a coalition of greats who aimed to make higher education obtainable for Black people in America.
The spotlight on the HBCU community has grown over the last few years. Some may attribute it to the growth and capacity of social media and multimedia marketing campaigns that guarantee institutions a larger reach, while others may attribute the growth to celebrities’ public support and praise of these institutions.
Unfortunately, the increased spotlight has led to a slew of misinformation regarding the leadership, integrity and supporters of these institutions. What we have is a cracked lens—people are seeing a distorted image of our HBCUs, and others are contributing to the disparaging messaging that has been echoed on social-media platforms.
The public is being miseducated. In an era where facts no longer outweigh opinions, these occurrences are dangerous for these sacred institutions and the people who work for and attend them.
Superstar Hires
No, hiring a professional athlete is not some cheat code to excelling or improving all institutional issues. HBCUs do not need charity. They need systemic change, and that change starts way beyond a field or court.
It starts at the state and federal levels. Coaches like Deion Sanders and Ed Reed—who never even coached a snap at Bethune-Cookman University—have created a narrative that their being at an HBCU would invoke some magnificent change that the institutions would feel beyond football.
“Coaches like Deion Sanders and Ed Reed—who never even coached a snap at Bethune-Cookman University—have created a narrative that their being at an HBCU would invoke some magnificent change that the institutions would feel beyond football,” Dr. Arianna C. Stokes writes. Here, Ed Reed holds the Super Bowl XLVII trophy. Photo by John Mathew Smith/celebrity-photos.com
No grandiose hire can undo decades of disenfranchisement, underfunding and the systemic allocation of resources. Evidence shows that HBCUs
Read original article by clicking here.