African American Colleges?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Simple Questions: Why are there "Black Colleges?"</p>

<p>Why aren't there white colleges?</p>

<p>Why should colleges consider themselves "Black colleges?"</p>

<p>What would happen if there was a "Historically White college" and it's mission statement said: </p>

<p>Guided by a commitment to excellence, (something university), an historically white liberal arts college for men, assumes a special responsibility for teaching students about the history and culture of white people. The college seeks to develop men with disciplined minds, emphasizing the continuing search for truth as a liberating force</p>

<p>--from Morehouse's mission statement, but I changed black to white </p>

<p>It's not like the colleges don't admit that they are black colleges...they openly put it on their websites.</p>

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<p>Haha I thought about this today when seeing some other thread. Life isn't fair. In the past, minorities were incredibly disadvantaged (it's not really over yet, but that's another story). And today, things kind of happen on the flip side. But hey, life's not fair.</p>

<p>Live with it.</p>

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<p>All the colleges started out as "white only" and blacks could not go. So African Americans can started their own colleges and university’s. As of today, their are numerous white people that atttend "black colleges". Also to clear it up, intially their were only "WHITE COLLEGES"..</p>

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<p>first off they are "historically black colleges/universities" and like the other guy said they were founded for black people since they weren't allowed to go to the other "white" colleges back then... now a days however anyone who wants to can attend a historically black college/university it just happens that these colleges remain most attractive to black students. therefore the student body is still predominately black.</p>

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<p>The past matters little. I am not white either, so don't see me as bias. It is unfair that there are not white colleges today. But I am not saying there should be.</p>

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<p>I deff. agree with you misterme2009. The past matters a little bit, but um there are some colleges that are consdierd "white". </p>

<p>Bob07 like misterme said LIVE WITH IT</p>

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<p>I suggest that you learn your history. Virtually every mainstream college is a historically white college. Heck, Princeton didn't accept its first black student until 1945. Davidson didn't accept its first black student until the 1960s. Journalist Charlene Hunter-Gault was one of the first two black students at U Ga. in 1961. In 1951, UNC Law School had its first black students. Even Stanford didn't get its first black students until the 1960s: <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/95/950221Arc5358.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/95/950221Arc5358.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>In most cases, those colleges didn't have black students because the colleges themselves refused to accept black students no matter how qualified the students were. For example, the late Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, who also was a Tuskegee airman, was accepted by University of Detroit, which withdrew his acceptance when they learned that he was black.</p>

<p>All of the historically black colleges were founded to provide places for black students to attend because there were very few mainstream colleges that would accept them. This included colleges in the north. If black students were accepted to mainstream colleges, often they sneaked in by passing for white (as was the case with the first black women who attended some of the top women's colleges) or they were forced to live off campus because they weren't allowed to room with white students.</p>

<p>My great uncle attended Syracuse in the early 1900s and had to sleep literally in the furnace room, for example.</p>

<p>Incidentally, many of the historically black colleges were founded by white people who wanted to provide some means of higher education for black students. </p>

<p>In case you're wondering why the HBCUs continue to operate even though colleges are now integrated: Why should they end? The HBCUs are open to anyone who wishes to attend them, and all have integrated faculty and student bodies. In fact, some departments at some HBCUs are predominantly nonblack. Some historically black colleges such as Bluefield State in W. Virginia are now predominantly white.</p>

<p>Just like some Catholics may wish to attend Notre Dame or some Jews may wish to go to Brandeis, the same is true when it comes to black students; Some wish to attend colleges where they are going to be in the majority. There's nothing wrong with that as long as people aren't forced by law to attend college only with people of their own race.</p>

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<p>There are sound historical reasons for 'black colleges' since at the time they were established, many colleges were white-only (not just anti-black, they were also anti-Asian, anti-Jewish, etc.). </p>

<p>Nowadays, many are simply 'historically' black colleges meaning that they will accept other races which means there really aren't any 'black' colleges per se. Given this, why should there be 'white' colleges? Many would argue that most of the rest of the colleges already fit the description of 'historically' white colleges.</p>

<p>We need to look past race and focus on the inividual.</p>

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<p>there are still predominately white colleges around if you want to be on a predominately white college campus so you can immerse yourself in "white culture."</p>

<p>one college that I can name off the top of my head is The University of the South - Sewanee. The student body is 90% white and according to princetonreview.com:</p>

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<p>Yup seems like a place where you can immerse yourself in "white culture."</p>

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<p>haha nice shazilla!!</p>

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<p>Just what were you doing on the Morehouse website anyway?... You should attend; I hear it's a good school :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>^they're are national universities that are above 92%white, with that being said I don't like predominatly one race schools, I like it when atleast 25% of the student body is of a different race, be it white, black, asian etc.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the posting but it seems like a couple of people believe my question was bashing black colleges. I REALLY do like a lot of black colleges particularly Morehouse...however I will not apply there because I feel like I do not fit there image. (i'm fine with being a minority a school but not so much in a school which endorses the idea that they are a black institution.) </p>

<p>I felt this feeling in Elementary School when I went to an "historically black" 1st-5th grade private school. My parents tried to get me in an the admissions ppl were hesitant in accepting me (i'm indian), even though my test scores were far above their average...In the end it was a really akward situation and I was finally let in...</p>

<p>I have a problem with certain comments said on this forum such as:</p>

<p>"I suggest that you learn your history"</p>

<p>--yes, of course I was aware of the fact that Princeton was an all white college...isn't it common knowledge that most colleges accepted white students in the early 20th century?</p>

<p>"if you want to be on a predominately white college campus so you can immerse yourself in "white culture."</p>

<p>I don't really understand this comment because I am not white. It is really inappropriate...</p>

<p>--Please do not make this thread personal..I was mearly posting hypothetical questions because I was intrested in a really good debate.</p>

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<p>"isn't it common knowledge that most colleges accepted white students in the early 20th century?"</p>

<p>I'm assuming that you meant to write, " most colleges accepted ONLY white students in the early 20th century?" ;)</p>

<p>No, that's not common knowledge. In the years that I have been posting on CC, I have seen posters who thought that HBCUs existed because black people hated white people. The posters didn't realize that HBCUs existed because for more than a century, by law, black students couldn't attend schools, including colleges, with white people in most or many parts of this country.</p>

<p>Some of the same posters assumed that the NAACP is a separatist organization and things like black professional organizations were started because black people were prejudiced against whites. The posters didn't realize that it was white people's prejudices that led to blacks having to go to black colleges and belong to all black organizations: Those were their only alternatives.</p>

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<p>i can't believe you pm'ed me asking for an apology about this lmao</p>

<p>you really think making a thread asking "why are there black colleges?" when it's so obvious why there are historically black colleges is appropriate? maybe the fact that they weren't allowed to go to any other university??? any ways i never said you were white i was just stating that their are "white colleges" out there if you wanted to go to one</p>

<p>i see nothing worth apologizing for, bye.</p>

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<p>It's very hard for me to resist the urge to respond to a post like this. But, I'll give the poster a fair shot and chalk up the limited perspective to a lack of knowlege about the subject, which is why, I presume, he posted the question in the first place.</p>

<p>To summarize others' comments, HBCUs are not here to be a mirror copy of "traditional" institutions, just for Black folk. They have a special mission that was/is necessitated by pervasive events in the history of this nation.</p>

<p>One example is that African-American studies (history, literature, sociology, anthropology) was not considered an area for serious study at nearly any college until very recently. Black colleges kept said scholarship alive all these years, and a few white scholars like Aptheker and Foner, followed in the footsteps of E. Franklin Frazier, W.E.B. Dubois, Alain Locke and John Hope Franklin, but few joined them. Now finally, the rest of academia finally gives the field the scholarly weight it always deserved.</p>

<p>For the record, some HBCUs [particularly state-supported schools] actively recruit not only American white students but immigrants from Europe. U of Arkansas-Pine Bluff has several eastern Europeans among the student body. As reported by the NY Times, they are having a great time living and learning with their Black American classmates.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
The past matters little.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Are you out of your mind especially when it comes to race relations?</p>

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<p>you dont need to be black to attend a historically black college; you dont need to be catholic to attend notre dame, you dont need to be jewish to attend brandeis, and men can take classes at womens schools.</p>

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<p>Here's a nice set of historically white colleges for you:
Grove City College (95% white)
Muhlenberg College (93% white)
Allegheny College (92% white)
Clarkson University (92% white)
Hope College (92% white)
University of Vermont (92% white)
Centre College (91% white)
Samford University (91% white)
Belmont University (90% white)
Brigham Young University (90% white)
Messiah College (90% white)
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (90% white)
Stonehill College (90% white)</p>

<p>If you lower the bar to 85%, you have overwhelmingly white institution at academic levels that no HBCU can compete with aside from Howard, you have:
University of Iowa (88% white)
University of Missouri: Rolla (88% white)
UNC-Willmington (88% white)
Butler University (87% white)
Michigan Technological University (87% white)
University of Wyoming (87% white)
DePauw University (86% white)
Elon University (86% white)
Iowa State University (86% white)
Ithaca College (86% white)
Loyola College in Maryland (86% white)
Auburn University (85% white)
Clemson University (85% white)
Duquesne University (85% white)
Furman University (85% white)
Lehigh University (85% white)
Marquette University (85% white)
Miami University of Ohio (85% white)
University of Nebraska (85% white)
St. Joseph's University (85% white)
Union College (85% white)
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (85% white)
Penn State (Just have to note w/ amazament that this school is 84% white)</p>

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<p>Just note in the above post with few expception, all of the above are either:
a) At minimum, moderately selective (less than 50% admitted)
b) flagship public
c) sports powerhouse/Div. I-A Football</p>

<p>Really, besides Messiah, Stonehill, and West Chester, not one of those institutions moderately fits the persona of second-rate/unkown/zero-prestige/safety school that mosts HBCUs sadly can be catergorized in.</p>

<p>For comparison:
To start please, w/o cheating, how many of the 89 HBCU can you even name?
How many of the above "HWCUs" have ever registered in your head before today? </p>

<h2>Note: "HWCU" is quick placeholder for colleges that are 85-100% white</h2>

<p>-15 "HWCUs" are U.S. News Top National Universities (Lehigh, Penn St., Iowa, Miami (OH), BYU, Baylor, Clemson, Auburn, Iowa St., Marquette, UVM, Nebraska, Alabama, Missouri: Rolla, Oregon)</p>

<h2>1 HBCU (out of 89) is a U.S. News Top National University: Howard</h2>

<p>-15 "HWCUs" are U.S. News top Liberal Arts Colleges (Union, Centre, Furman, Rhodes, Gettysburg, DePauw, Denison, Beloit, Wofford, St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus, Muhlenberg, Albion, Allegheny, Hope)</p>

<h2>-1 HBCU (out of 89) is a U.S. News Top Liberal Arts College: Spelman</h2>

<p>-17 "HWCUs" are Division I-A Football schools (Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Oregon, Miami (OH), Wyoming, BYU, Baylor, Nebraska, Iowa St., Penn State, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Utah St.) </p>

<h2>-0 HBCUs are Division I-A Football schools (no HBCUs on ESPN)</h2>

<p>Practically all above listed "HWCUs", IMO, are reputable/known schools </p>

<p>-5 HBCUs (out of 89), IMO, are reputable/known schools:</p>

<h2>Howard, Morehouse, Spelman, Xavier, Hampton (maybe Fisk or Tuskegee for engineering)</h2>

<p>Only4 of "HBCUs" were admitted students average w/ atleast a 3.0 GPA (B average (Spelman, Morehouse, Fisk, Oakwood)</p>

<h2>Only 1 HBCU (out 89) where over 75% admitted students had GPA of 3.0 or higher (Spelman)</h2>

<p>So from the prospective of a black male, if I want to attend an HBCU, I must exclude:</p>

<p>All 1st/2nd tier liberal arts colleges (Spelman is all-women)
All but on Top National University (Howard is my only option)
I cannot play Div. I-A football
I cannot attend any flagship state schools
All but two Top 100 med-school feeders (Morehouse, Xavier)
All Top Undergrad Business and Engineering</p>

<p>But for HWCUs, I can fufill any of the above categories with multiple options. So, for any who complains of existance of HBCUs, I think all-black seeking applicants have the short-hand as opposed to all-white seeking applicants.</p>