In a Perfect World…
As far as academia goes, today has been an enlightening day.
First in my social movements class, we talked about/watched a documentary on school integration in the 50’s. It’s one thing to see pictures in your history book, but it’s entirely different to see actual video of that situation. It made me think…
Are schools really integrated now?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been to a school that was racially diverse.
In Michigan, I was the only black person in my grade.
In Texas, Black people made up 20% of the students at my public school.
In Mississippi, at my private school of 468 students K-12 there were 8 Black people.
In Georgia, at a private school of about 960 K-12, there were 20 Black people.
The schools where I mentor have opposite ratios as mine.
Would you really call those schools integrated? It seems like schools today have a majority race and a few token people rather than full integration. Yes the integration laws of the 50’s and 60’s were monumental tasks, but was the goal really accomplished? Yes more that one race goes to school together, but it’s still not diverse…
So…
Is so called “integration” really a good thing?
I always thought HBCU’s were both good and bad. They’re great for support and building up self awareness and confidence, but they’re bad because they’re not indicative of the way life truly is.
I wonder though, in a purely academic sense, would it be best for black people to go to black institutions for post-secondary education?
For instance,
I’ve noticed that the transfers we get from the AUC are MUCH more successful at Tech than the Black students that started here (for the most part). They seem to be more confident and driven whereas the indigenous students are more about “getting out” and getting PAID than actually “learning”…but maybe that’s the culture of Tech…
At an HBCU, they teach you how to swim and let you out into the pool. (Not to say it’s easier, it just seems that they prepare you to succeed.)
At Tech, they push you into the middle of a raging ocean. At night. During a hurricane. And expect you swim back to shore without even considering whether or not you even know how to float. (Not to say that it’s harder, but it’s a kind of a thrown to the wolves type environment here.)
Anyway…
I suppose my theory is separate AND equal. I’m almost positive that a graduate of Howard, Hampton, or Dillard would have a better education than someone from the University (sic) of Georgia or Ole Miss. (No offense to you if you went to those institutions…unless you went to UGA.)
…
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an HBCU make the Ivy League? I nominate Howard and will pay for Ivy League status when I start making my millions…
Wait…what am I saying?! ”Oh Opraaah….”
But of course all that is unrealistic as there are other factors that go into things like this. This is just my theory though… to be applied in a perfect world…
