<p>I agree @Madaboutx im glad hbcus don’t cater to elite black students because that’d mean alienating the majority</p>
<p>I used the term elite in my post but I actually prefer the term gifted, blessed or talented. Elite sounds more like value statement of worth compared to others which is not the case and the fact people are of equal value before God is why I have the opinion I do.</p>
<p>@Madaboutx @Jellybae HBCUs recruiting “elite” talent is not a distraction from their purpose. It’s simply one facet of their purpose. Most HBCUs have Honor Colleges to better cater to these “elite” students .</p>
<p>And what are “elite” students anyway?? I’ve had classmates (some from upper-class families) who were practically perfect on standardize tests with respectable GPAs and dropped out of college due to boredom/laziness. I also know some who got caught up in charges (sometimes multiple) of underage drinking, DUIs, drugs, or hazing and of course serious public trouble with their respective institutions . Elite is incredibly subjective b/c once again I know people with mediocre academic records and from modest means to later open successful businesses, land prestigious jobs, flourish in government, earn multiple degrees from multiple institutions etc.</p>
<p>I never liked the word b/c it’s so superficial. </p>
<p>Good article on the benefits of HBCUs below …</p>
<p><a href=“Finding Lost Love Between Hip-Hop and HBCUs | State of HBCUs”>https://stateofhbcus.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2011/04/11/finding-lost-love-between-hip-hop-and-hbcus/</a></p>
<p>@NuScholar - It is a distraction because these elite, gifted, talented or whatever term you choose, kids are a resource drain. To properly educate them, it takes more money, time, energy and effort to properly cultivate and stimulate their minds. The same thing is true of athletically elite students. They won’t develop to their true potential in a league that is not up to their caliber of play. </p>
<p>I attended an HBCU and think it was the best education for me. I thought it would also be the best for my kids except that my kids showed a lot of giftedness. That was when I began to change my thinking on the topic. Too many of us don’t like the term elite and like to view all kids as gifted. I was in that category but then one of my kids would score in the top one percentile of every test and didn’t necessarily study harder than other kids. I had to change my views on giftedness. That kid needed to be pushed much more than what the current structure was able to push. It ended up meaning a steady investment of my personal money to enrich that one’s education to prevent boredom. On the flip side, my other kid was artistically talented and after going through every class at my expense in the local area, one day an instructor said, “your son is too far advanced to learn in a mixed group because he needs more attention than I can give him” and gave me some references on where to go in the city, about 20 miles away.</p>
<p>Giftedness needs to be cultivated and that costs more money. So, my point about HBCUs is that they reach the right kids for the right amount of money at this time and the schools are usually struggling to fundraise enough from one year to the next. They have no incentive to spend more to compete for more expensive kids that demand more attention. That effort will show up in the tuition bills of every student on campus. HBCUs know what they are doing and doing their thing well. More kids need to get introduced to the value they bring to keep the tradition going.</p>
<p>No need to be afraid or averse to the terms elite or gifted. Talent should always be acknowledged and not resented. I’ve met more than a few HBCU graduates whom were quite talented. And I would consider Dr. LaSalle Leffall (FAMU and former president of the American Cancer Society) and Dr. Ronald McNair (NCA&T and Astronaut/Scientist) as being among the elite in their careers. </p>