Weekly Web Roundup (8/1/16)

Photo Credit: Ian Sane

Here are some interesting stories from around the web during this past week:

A Call For Peace And Unity From America’s HBCU Community by Michael J. Sorrell

Here is a statement of heartfelt solidarity against the violence that our country is currently experiencing from the presidents of America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Genetic Testing and Tribal Identity: Why many Native Americans have concerns about DNA kits like 23andme by Rose Eveleth

"In the past decade, questions of how a person's genetic material gets used have become more and more common. Researchers and ethicists are still figuring how how to balance scientific goals with the need to respect individual and cultural privacy. And for Native Americans, the question of how to do that, like nearly everything, is bound up in a long history of racism and colonialism."

Reflections on Black Lives by Carl F. Ellis

Dr. Ellis is a respected black Christian leader who I was privileged to have for a seminary class a couple of years ago. In this article, he makes a distinction between the belief that "black lives matter" and the Black Lives Matter movement. It's worth the read for those that have wondered how to affirm the value of black lives while not endorsing everything the BLM movement stands for.

The Danger of Partisan Christianity by Jesse Carey

"Thanks to the hyper-polarizing, super-competitive onslaught of political messages, most Americans have been brainwashed to view every issue through two lenses: liberal or conservative. This is what the parties want. Our system encourages clear idealogical battle lines. After all, at the ballot box, we (for the most part and especially at the federal level) aren’t voting on individual issues; we’re voting on candidates who represent a party. 

Followers of Christ shouldn’t view issues through the lens of liberal or conservative. We should only see them through the lens of the Gospel. But this tactic can trick us into believing that everything we read, watch or hear about a social issue is part of a hidden political agenda, attempting to sway our entire ideology. The Church, however, should approach things differently: Followers of Christ shouldn’t view issues through the lens of liberal or conservative. We should only see them through the lens of the Gospel."

Take an ASL Tour of the West Wing with the Deaf Receptionist Who Works There (from Mental Floss)

West Wing Receptionist Leah Katz-Hernandez narrates a tour of the White's House's West Wing in American Sign Language. Watch the video here.

Are Black Colleges Racist?

Photo Credit: Roundup Russy

In this era of increasing ethnic diversity within the United States, there are some that question whether Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU's) are still needed. To be more direct, some detractors of HBCU's question whether they are actually racist in nature. They argue, for example, how would it be received if there were colleges that identified themselves as "White Colleges & Universities?"

I've argued before here about why I feel there continues to be a need for HBCU's for those that choose to pursue higher education in that setting. I've also provided some facts here about HBCU's that might be of interest to you.

Because I've written at length about this before, I won't go into the reasons about my thinking on the place of HBCU's within modern America but it is interesting to note that many feel that HBCU's are somehow more exclusive to non-blacks than major state schools are to people of color. Having had the privilege of visiting a number of the country's top HBCU's, I know from firsthand experience that though in the minority, I have always been welcomed and treated with courtesy and respect during my time on HBCU campuses.

The Wall Street Journal has written a good article detailing the efforts of HBCU's to recruit non-black students. Nsenga Burton, of TheRoot.com, comments:

"Some black colleges are stepping up recruiting at mostly white or Hispanic high schools and community colleges. Delaware State University is bringing 100 Chinese students to its Dover campus this fall for cultural and language training. Other colleges are showcasing unique programs. Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens promotes its chorale, which backed Queen Latifah in the 2010 Super Bowl, for example.

Even top-ranked black schools such as Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Spelman College in Atlanta, are recruiting more aggressively in the face of intensifying competition for top African-American students.

About 82% of students at the nation's 105 black colleges are African-American, a percentage that has been fairly constant over the past 30 years, according to a data analysis for this column by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a New York nonprofit. Increases in Hispanic and Asian students have offset declines in whites, partly because of cuts in federal- and state-scholarship programs that encouraged white students to attend historically black colleges, says the fund's president, Johnny C. Taylor Jr. He predicts growth in white, Hispanic and Asian enrollment, as black colleges cast a wider net.

We're glad the Wall Street Journal has discovered what is commonly known on HBCU campuses, there is racial, religious, gender and cultural diversity on them. Recruiting outside of your core group makes sense especially since Blacks have many more options than before. Further with the elimination of affirmative-action programs and massive cuts in funding at mainstream universities, it stands to reason that more whites and Hispanics would be seeking education elsewhere. Yes, affirmative-action helped white students too. Some graduate and professional programs at HBCUs have been extremely diverse for decades now. It's no surprise that colleges and universities that have always valued diverse populations would reach out to non-black populations in the interest of continuing this tradition and survival."

Even though our nation's college campuses are becoming more ethnically diverse each year, American ethnic minority students are still outnumbered by white students at most of our nation's top schools. Yes, African Americans still comprise the majority of students at HBCU's, but the efforts of HBCU's to recruit and include students of other ethnicities is similar to the efforts of most major state schools to include students of color.  Because of their history, HBCU's are readily identified as institutions primarily created for African Americans students but this designation makes them no more exclusive than any other state college where whites are the overwhelming majority.

Facts About Historically Black Colleges & Universities

In doing some research recently on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) I learned some interesting facts about these institutions of higher learning. HBCU's are considered to be those schools that were founded before 1964 in order to meet the needs of African American students seeking higher education. But even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these schools continue to provide a good educational option of students of African descent and those of other ethnicities wishing to receiver higher education.

I've written previously about the unique role that HBCU's play in the black community and the greater American society as a whole and here are some compelling facts about HBCU's:

• HBCU’s represent 3% of the nation’s institutions of higher learning and enroll 12% of the nation's African American students. There are 370,000 African American students that attend the nation’s 105 HBCU’s.

• HBCU’s comprise 9 of the top 10 schools that produce African American graduates that go onto earn PhD’s.

• More than ½ of the nation’s African American public school teachers are HBCU graduates.

• 70% of the country’s black physicians and dentists went to an HBCU.

• Over half of all African American professionals are HBCU graduates.

• Nearly ½ of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

• HBCU’s award 23% of all bachelor degrees, 13% of all master’s degrees and 20% of professional degrees awarded to African Americans.

• Eight out of ten African American federal judges went to an HBCU.

• Florida A & M produces more African American graduates each year than any other college in the country.

• According to the 2010 rankings by U.S. News & World Report, the top ten HBCU’s in the country are (in order): Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, Fisk, Xavier (LA), Hampton, Tuskegee, Claflin, Dillard, and North Carolina Central.

• HBCU alumni include Booker T. Washington, Rosa Parks, A. Phillip Randolph, Mary McLeod Bethune, James Weldon Johnson, Nikki Giovanni, Andrew Young, Thurgood Marshall, Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Facts taken from the following websites:
http://www.thinkhbcu.org/hbcu_facts.htm
http://diverseeducation.com/article/1162/1.php
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/hbcu-rankings
http://thinkhbcu.org/new_page_2.htm

For a complete list of HBCU's within the United States, please visit the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities here.

Making the Case for Historically Black Colleges

Some proposed legislation in the state of Georgia is threatening the existence of some unique colleges in the state, HBCU's. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) are those institutions of higher learning that were established in order to provide collegiate-level education to African Americans during a time when those of African descent were denied the opportunity to be educated at other schools.

Most HBCU's were founded after the Civil War, although a few such as Wilberforce University in Ohio and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania were founded in the 1850's. Some of the more prominent HBCU's in the country are Morehouse and Spelman (Atlanta), Howard (Washington, DC), Fisk (Nashville), Florida A & M, and Hampton (Virginia).

The debate in Georgia presently revolves around differences in opinion as to whether HBCU's still have a place a place in today's integrated and modern society. Seth Harp, a Republican Georgia state senator, feels like HBCU's should merge with more traditional (i.e. predominately white) schools:

"Faced with a $2 billion budget shortfall, a Republican state senator has proposed merging two historically black schools with predominantly white colleges to save money. In the process, he said, he hopes to erase a vestige of Jim Crow-era segregation. "I think we should close this ugly chapter in Georgia's history," Seth Harp, chairman of the state Senate's Higher Education Committee, said Tuesday. Jim Crow refers to state and local laws that mandated the separation of blacks and whites."

Sen. Harp, who is white, is not alone in his thinking. Cynthia Tucker, an editor for the Atlanta Constitution, agrees with him. Tucker, who is African American, has this to say:

"There is no longer good reason for public colleges that are all-white or all-black"

From my perspective there are at least a couple things wrong with the thinking of Ms. Tucker and Mr. Harp. First, I've visited a large number of HBCU's and I've yet to find one that is all-black. Although non-African Americans may be in the minority, they are still welcome to apply and attend each of these colleges. In fact, one of the school that I mentioned, Morehouse, had a white valedictorian this past school year. I don't know why this is considered any different than the vast number of major state institutions where white students make up close to 90% or more of the student population.

Second, Sen. Harp infers that HBCU's are somehow inherently tainted since they were founded when segregation was the law of the land. I disagree. HBCU's have a rich history and have produced some of the greatest leaders of influencers in American history -- Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, and Oprah Winfrey are just a few individuals that attended HBCU's.

Of course there have also been notable African Americans that attended state colleges (or no college at all), but for the aforementioned individuals, the HBCU environment shaped them in ways that might have not otherwise taken place. These schools have a history and legacy that should be left in tact. Similar to HBCU's, the black church was formed during a time of intense racism and disenfranchisement of black people. But even in the midst of that environment, a thriving institution was birthed that has given strength, hope and purpose to an untold number of individuals that might not have found it elsewhere.

During the Jim Crow era of American history, blacks were not allowed to attend school with whites because of racism, pure and simple. There is a big difference between the current state of HBCU's and state institutions that prevented African Americans from attending. Many black students choose to attend an HBCU because they feel like that is the best environment for them to learn and become prepared for the "real world" after college. But they also have the option of attending other schools that don't have a historic black majority. That's the point. They have a choice now, whereas in years past, that option wasn't there.

While I'm an advocate of these honorable institutions, the fact remains that these schools have to be economically viable in order to continue on. The state should help financially in a similar way that it does for other state schools. We all know that not all schools are the same nor do they all provide the same level of education. My friends that are Ivy League graduates got a different kind of education than I did at a Mid-American Conference school (although we have better football teams.) :) But, when possible, I think it is to our benefit to continue to support educational institutions that have a historical legacy that future generations can learn from. African American history IS American history and vice versa. Let us not forget that.

A White Valedictorian at Morehouse

The well-known and historically rich Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia has produced some notable alumni such as filmmaker Spike Lee, Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses and actor Samuel L. Jackson. Of course, its most famous graduate is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

But something just happened that hadn't previously taken place in the 141 year history of the school. A white man was at the top of the graduating class at the all-male school. Joshua Packwood, who grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, finished with the top grade point average in his class and has been acknowledged as class valedictorian.

CNN.com posted a great story that shares about Packwood's background and what led him to become a student at Morehouse. Having a background that allowed him to spend a lot of time with African Americans, he naturally gravitated to spending time with black folk and even turned down a scholarship to an Ivy League school, Columbia, in order to attend Morehouse. Though most of his classmates are supportive of Packwood, there are some dissenters among the Morehouse community. The questions of whether a white person should be given an honor at such a notable historically black college have surfaced, among other feelings on the matter.

I have to give the guy credit since I can relate to him. He made the choice to enter a world where he would be a minority and, in some cases, resented for his very presence. But as another white person who operates in a predominately black environment, I respect his decision to attend Morehouse and applaud him for excelling as a student. As Dr. King once famously proclaimed, Packwood is being acknowledged for "the content of his character and not the color of his skin."

Listen to what Sterling Hudson, Morehouse's dean of admissions, has to say, "We're not aggressively pursuing white students," says Hudson. "But like every other college, we're interested in diversity. So, if a white student becomes interested in Morehouse - of course we are going to treat him like any other student." As a historically black college, Morehouse seeks to provide an educational environment to African American men that may not exist at other institutions. I, for one, support these schools in educating the next generation of black leaders. But if those that are not African American willingly choose to become apart of that campus community, they should be treated fairly. I'm glad to see that Morehouse has done just that and rewarded a tremendous student that did what few other white people would do.

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