Outraged alumni and students have veraciously expressed their disapproval of the increased number of minorities attending HBCU's.
At an HBCU (Historically Black College or University), anyone who is not African American is considered a minority. The apparent change in the number of minorities, which attend HBCU's, has many African Americans torn between animosity and happiness.
"Admitting a large number of minorities to HBCU's will strip these institutions of higher learning of their history, legacy, and purpose," says an alumnus of a HBCU who chose to remain nameless.
All of the hubub, as a result of this reality, leaves one wondering if the increased integration at historically black colleges and universities should be considered an issue or another form of progress.
The African American community appears to be torn on this issue. Many of today's students view the boost of integration as a positive achievement.
A sophomore business major, Porche Millington, says, "I think the increase in minorities is a beautiful thing. After all, isn't that what our ancestors fought and died so hard for? They wanted everyone to have a quality education."
Another student felt indifferent. "It doesn't really matter. We're all here to get the same education. Skin color isn't significant anymore," says Vaughn Davis, senior business marketing major.
At the same time, it appears that graduates of these institutions of higher learning, who are older, feel differently about today's racial composition of their alma maters.
Patricia Edsell, who graduated from Tennessee State University Class of 1978, feels that a large number of minorities is detrimental to the success of HBCU's. "The sole purpose of an HBCU is to provide an education and atmosphere for African American students so that they are set up for success," says Edsell.
She continued by saying, "An increase in the number of minorities will harm HBCU's because the education will drastically change and cater to students of all races. We will lose the uniqueness that an HBCU holds. An HBCU will be like any other university and they will eventually lack purpose."
According to the academic advising and retention team, at North Carolina A&T State University, there were 457 undergraduate minorities enrolled at A&T in 1998. Ten years later, in 2008, that number of undergraduate minority students had swelled to 825.
This past year has shown that minorities are not only attending these colleges and universities, but they are changing the faces of these universities.
Miss Hampton University for the 2009-2010 academic year, Nikole Churchill, is a native of Hawaii, who was elected by her predominantly African American university. Churchill received a lot of negative attention from students and media. She even wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to visit her school and talk about race relations. According to NECN.comNation, she later apologized for the letter and said that she let the comments from a few negative students get the best of her.
A similar situation occurred at Kentucky State University, a HBCU, where Queen Elisabeth Martin, a Shelbyville native, just received her crown this past Friday. Kentucky State University embraced Martin as their representative when she received 49 percent of the votes and beat out three other candidates.
People will continue to view diversity within HBCU's however they choose, but one thing we can all agree on is that change has come.
At an HBCU (Historically Black College or University), anyone who is not African American is considered a minority. The apparent change in the number of minorities, which attend HBCU's, has many African Americans torn between animosity and happiness.
"Admitting a large number of minorities to HBCU's will strip these institutions of higher learning of their history, legacy, and purpose," says an alumnus of a HBCU who chose to remain nameless.
All of the hubub, as a result of this reality, leaves one wondering if the increased integration at historically black colleges and universities should be considered an issue or another form of progress.
The African American community appears to be torn on this issue. Many of today's students view the boost of integration as a positive achievement.
A sophomore business major, Porche Millington, says, "I think the increase in minorities is a beautiful thing. After all, isn't that what our ancestors fought and died so hard for? They wanted everyone to have a quality education."
Another student felt indifferent. "It doesn't really matter. We're all here to get the same education. Skin color isn't significant anymore," says Vaughn Davis, senior business marketing major.
At the same time, it appears that graduates of these institutions of higher learning, who are older, feel differently about today's racial composition of their alma maters.
Patricia Edsell, who graduated from Tennessee State University Class of 1978, feels that a large number of minorities is detrimental to the success of HBCU's. "The sole purpose of an HBCU is to provide an education and atmosphere for African American students so that they are set up for success," says Edsell.
She continued by saying, "An increase in the number of minorities will harm HBCU's because the education will drastically change and cater to students of all races. We will lose the uniqueness that an HBCU holds. An HBCU will be like any other university and they will eventually lack purpose."
According to the academic advising and retention team, at North Carolina A&T State University, there were 457 undergraduate minorities enrolled at A&T in 1998. Ten years later, in 2008, that number of undergraduate minority students had swelled to 825.
This past year has shown that minorities are not only attending these colleges and universities, but they are changing the faces of these universities.
Miss Hampton University for the 2009-2010 academic year, Nikole Churchill, is a native of Hawaii, who was elected by her predominantly African American university. Churchill received a lot of negative attention from students and media. She even wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to visit her school and talk about race relations. According to NECN.comNation, she later apologized for the letter and said that she let the comments from a few negative students get the best of her.
A similar situation occurred at Kentucky State University, a HBCU, where Queen Elisabeth Martin, a Shelbyville native, just received her crown this past Friday. Kentucky State University embraced Martin as their representative when she received 49 percent of the votes and beat out three other candidates.
People will continue to view diversity within HBCU's however they choose, but one thing we can all agree on is that change has come.
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