Op-Ed: Producing College-Educated Black Men in the 21st Century Structuring HBCUs as Liberal Engines of Economic Development

Unless a WRITER is extremely old when he dies, in which case he has probably become a neglected institution, his death must always seem untimely. This is because a real WRITER is always shifting and changing and searching. The world has many labels for him, of which the most treacherous is the label Success ~James Baldwin

Substituting the word “Educated Black Man” for “Writing” in the above passage stirs in me these congenial collegiate vibes. This passage of reference makes me believe that James Arthur Baldwin an American writer and activist would have been a phenomenal Professor and Mentor of 1st Generation College Students at an HBCU. With prior Stints at UMASS (5 Colleges) and Bowling Green State University; it would have been a phenomenal picture of excellence seeing Professor Baldwin at my Alma Mater (Kentucky State University).  

Albeit his work is studied throughout many Liberal Institutions around the world; “Nobody Knows my Name” is a book that hits at the core of Black Men and Higher Education. It is a phenomenal assertion to ascertain Black Men as Bodies of Knowledge seeking to liberate themselves amidst racial tensions.   

The world fails to realize that black men are always shifting and changing; trying to castigate the false narratives that constantly perpetuate their greatness. As Professor Baldwin alludes to the Black Man in America can be anything but great and successful to the eyes of those blinded by their own ignorance.

The Black Man walks into Higher Education as a Neglected Institution, seeking to further liberate his stance on American politics. He recognizes the scars of racism and those American injustices that have hampered his ability to break the chains of ignorance that besets his community. No path is laid and thus his sense of sensibility gets eroded over time even if he graduates atop his class.  

I am finding myself making a connection between Menelek Lumumba's “1 Angry Black Men” (as I mention later), and James Baldwin’s “Nobody knows my name”; as inflection points for producing college Educated Black Men in the 2ist Century. The world is changing fast and if we as a community want to increase the enrollment of black men into the halls of academia; a more liberal approach to the matter is needed.

It was Michael Lomax President & CEO of United Negro College Fund that acknowledged the following “A college degree is the most sustainable & surest pathway from poverty into a more sustainable family income”. When you, think about the generations of college students en route to Higher Education; who is to say that entering college at the ripe age of 18 is the best scenario? What’s the best process for preparing young men and women for Higher Education.  

Producing Qualified Candidates

What does it mean to be a college-ready student in the 21st century? Is it students with a diverse range of technological skills, high ACT & SAT Scores, Community Service initiatives, multiple letters of recommendation, or parents that are well off? Where do we toll the line when it comes to producing more qualified candidates to take the plunge into higher education.

Qualified candidates in this sense are young men and women with a desire to change the course of history. Never mind, having top grades and a sleuth of credentials because many urban students may not have been cultivated in an environment that spoke to the importance of “College Preparatory” as a means for community development. 

For many low-income and 1st generation college students, historically black urban-focused land-grant universities and community colleges offer the greatest hope at this point in the game. It’s understandable that these systemic and structural racial barriers are contributing to poor schooling, housing discrimination, and the lack of quality employment. 

College readiness in Math, English, Science, and Reading are fundament to changing and challenging the narrative surrounding college readiness. Prior Preparation for college-level coursework should come in many forms. AP Science, AP Calculus, and AP all things High-School shouldn’t be the only response for getting urban youth into top-tier programs.

The “Remediation” that many HBCUs utilize to navigate the previous 12 years of defunct education is highly respected but not enough. How many Black parents in the south do you know that can afford to pay an Educational Counselor and Consultant $200 -$300 an hour let alone $500 - $1500 hourly?

After watching “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal” for the third time I couldn’t help but think about the students who are overlooked beyond not getting into the school of their choice. When you think about USC (University of Southern California) with a 12% acceptance rate in a state as big as California; it makes you wonder about our state recruits.

It also should make you wonder if that 12% acceptance rate what percentage goes to African Americans? If USC is recruiting the best of the best black high school minds around the world; why isn’t their personages of color to quail those assumptions about the grass being greener on the other side?

Read Op-Ed: Here’s why Black Californians should consider attending an HBCU

Determining schools that are the best fit for African American men and women; should start with a discussion around the culture of education as it relates to the black community. Should Jasmine go to a small liberal arts college, a medium-sized research university a private white institution, a for-profit online college, an HBCU, a community college, or a Liberal based Christian social construct? Many variables play out in the College admission outside of ACT/SAT and prior AP course placement.

It’s easy to assume that every black high school graduate in America should flood immediately into the closest HBCU. Yes, we need higher enrollments at all HBCUs in America but their need to be a fit into the educational scheme. What’s wrong with using HBCUs and community colleges as the backdrop for aiding our bright minds in these upper echelon institutions?

Although, I am hands down advocating for both of my teenagers to attend HBCUs; if the opportunity presents itself for my children to attend the likes of Vanderbilt, The University of Chicago, Yale, Harvard, Oregon, Ohio State, or Stanford I am fair game.  

The end goal for black students all across America entering Higher Education is the economic development of “The University of Black America”. In my previous article titled “Perspective | The University of Black America “The case of HBCU’s $100 Billion Dollar Opportunity. The Enrollment Debate Rages On”; I highlight the importance of tapping into the richness of the black educational experience.

For many upper-class black families, it’s about prestige and granting their offspring a one-way ticket into the upper-middle class. Some would call college a scam and others an opportunity. However, the discussion is sliced up many young black men and women would do well to be reared in the constraints of Higher Education.

Creating a G-League for Black Education

The NBA G League for those who are unfamiliar is a minor league offshoot of the NBA. From 2001 to 2005 the G-League was knowns as NBDL (National Basketball Development League) and the D League from 2005 until 2017. Each NBA D-League team is affiliated with one or more NBA teams. It first started in 2001 and since then has become the breeding ground for when NBA teams fill out and compliment their roster.

However, the G League acts as a minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. In this case, HBCUs can take a page from the NBA G-league and produce an entire ecosystem around developing the world's next global leaders, doctors, lawyers, brain surgeons, dentists, Presidents, and the like.

Just because I am not ready academically to walk into a college classroom as an 18-year-old; doesn’t mean no potential exists. Similarly, as it relates to community colleges across America that offer certificate and Associate programs; black men too can be trained with the ultimate aim of getting called up into the upper echelons of Higher Education.

Higher Education is missing out on an extra 100,000 black men of high distinction. For me its about the “Fit”. I would have loved to have learned at a local community college, built up my confidence as a lover of the arts; sought out some of the top liberal arts institutions in America and built that rapport. Again, the backdrop about “Fit” is more about figuring out what style of education can coincide with natural tendencies and talents.  

It’s honorable to recognize that campus environments often affect the retention of black male students. The social temperatures at these schools matter. The interpersonal connections and interactions with peers are huge when it comes to retelling these firsthand narratives for future learners in the halls of academia.  

In 2016, Black Men comprised only 5% of all undergraduate students enrolled in Higher Education. Who’s to blame for such low outcomes? Where are black men when it comes to the halls of academia? Is it the lack of “Education” as a cultural focus within the black community that isn’t being addressed? Of that 5% that is enrolled how many of those individuals actually complete a bachelor’s degree?

On average, over a quarter (26.7%) of Black men hold a college degree. The proportion of Black men with some college versus no degree is (24.3%); which is almost the same as the proportion of Black men with a college degree (26.5%). What’s more, is that black undergraduate enrollment has decreased in recent years. The trends suggest that a deeper analysis is needed as to the causes of these steep declines.

Being a young black college student post Pandemic is challenging in ways that people may not understand. It’s about the experiential learning and redesigning of collegiate experiences that closely connect to the current experiences students are living with and facing on a day-to-day basis.

As an example, HIST 103 - Introduction to the Medieval World would be a tough position for me if I was under tons of financial strain, didn’t know where my next meal was coming from, and couldn’t find an adequate daycare for my child. Maybe down the line, this History course provides perspective but in these trying times; a more suitable premise might be AFRO 122 ~ Education in Black America. Could you imagine this course being taught to incoming Freshmen at Stanford University by Barack Obama?

Building a Liberal Experience

Upon Entering Kentucky State University as a Freshman student, I had no idea that I was in the middle of a Liberal Arts Institution. I didn’t research the school’s history and academic structure. Given that both of my brothers and multiple cousins attended KSU it was a foregone conclusion that I would make KSU my home when I arrived.

Kentucky State University has received many accolades from U.S. News including being ranked #2 in best value schools, #6 in top public schools in the regional south, and #35 in HBCUs overall. Their unique liberal studies degree whereas an Honor’s students you can double-major along with other areas of study. Graduates have gone on to careers in many different fields, including law, business, education, psychology, journalism, criminal justice, computer science, medicine, and government service.

When it comes to producing college-educated black men in the 21sty century; a Liberal Education helps to set the tone for a more balanced and protracted angle for community development. Forget, wasting two years in an HBCU as an undecided student. As young black men enter the ranks of higher education there must be a level of mentorship: that prevents students from waiting two-three years to enter core classes. It’s no wonder students are given a 6-year advent for graduating with a bachelor’s degree.

I recently came upon a wonderful Indie film by Director-writer Menelek Lumumba titled “1 Angry Black Man”. As the Star of the film, Mike Anderson plays a senior at this preeminent New-England Liberal arts school, Frost College.  As the film opens, he’s being interrogated by the local police for a suspected sexual assault that he denies. He’s ultimately let go, but he carries the scars of humiliation with him into his black literature class, where —the bulk of the film takes place.

Mike is feeling sad, isolated, and angry about issues that black men confront in their daily experiences. Whether young black men are in the confines of a PWI, HBCU, the corporate world, or prison they still feel the whiplash of indifference. James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time” is a stark reminder of why cultural studies are needed in the Constraints of Higher Education.

During James Baldwin’s time at Bowling Green State University (1978 -1979) as a writer in residence and Distinguished visiting professor; he gave students a rare opportunity to engage in cultural discussions. It was noted that one of his students asked him, “Why does the white man hate the nig***?”. It was in the classroom that Baldwin found himself confronting the unnerving connotations of racism as he tried to do so eloquently in his body of work.

Nevertheless, HBCUs in the future will harbor more Liberal Arts programs as a side narrative for economic development. The conferral of 100,000 bachelor's and master’s degrees to the black community in the next 25 years; should come with the aim of the repurposing“The University of Black America” which is in essence the black diaspora. 

The Aftermath

The writing is on the wall and soon HBCUs will become behemoths as it relates to the development of the Black Community. As a Rite of Passage HBCUs ’ central role in the Black communities will become commonplace in mainstream politics. No competition will exist between HBCUs and PWIs as it relates to the recruitment of Top High School Scholars in America & around the world.

In ten years 70% of all black men that enter Higher Education will graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree. No longer will young black men who have a desire to liberate their communities; dance in the sea of delusion brought on by mainstream media distortions. Not all black men will desire to enter the halls of Higher Education.

And for those who are economically and educationally challenged; that still enter HBCUs; it's in the best interest of HBCUs to provide aid to those that suffer from low self-esteem, and low levels of confidence in their academic abilities. At some point, they will become spaces of fortified healing and learning.

It takes time to build up the confidence of 1st generation students in the wake of any educational experience let alone an HBCU dynamic. I specifically address these issues through the narrative of a G-League for Students who in 2 years can get called up to the Ranks of a Junior; seasoned within their only process and course of action.

Access to Technology, Teachers, and learning environments for young black men that was never presented in a High-School setting can often and will present challenges. Often times colleges present students with remedial classes as courses that are often required based on a student’s ACT or SAT scores. These classes help build up a student’s skills and confidence in math, reading, or English; before they are allowed to take regular college courses.

Remedial Classes can often lead to dropouts and even worse; students who lose the desire to see Higher Education as a viable step in their own personal growth and development. I am not sure if Remedial classes perpetuate this notion of a 6-year term for getting a bachelor’s degree, but the shift is already occurring thanks to COVID-19.

The student disconnect is real. Pandemic traumas are affecting College students across the globe. With the mix of learning options for many colleges offer to their cohort (i.e., Blended, Hybrid, Online, On Campus, Pre-Recorded Lectures, etc.); at times these different experiences can often be isolating and depressing all in the same boat. The question begs to be asked,” How do we Challenge & Change the Structure of Higher Education?”.  

What types of experiences are these 1st generation students seeking from Higher Education? Have HBCUs even run the numbers and found out if students even actually want to attend college? And if so what’s the strategy to quail the notion that it’s more beneficial to skip college overall? Do we as a community understand how many pregnant High School Mothers would love to attend an HBCU?

HBCUs must become a sanctuary for helping underprepared young minds meet the rigorous demands of University life. These sustainable solutions could show the balance that is needed to master the psychology of college life as it relates to the pressures that come with being an adult as a Collegiate student.