NAFEO fights back against critics of HBCUs
In a response to a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece questioning the need for HBCUs, the president of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education stated, "HBCUs represent just 4% of US universities. They confer 22% of all bachelor degrees earned by African Americans, 24% of all bachelor’s degrees awarded to African Americans in science and engineering and nearly 35% of all bachelor’s degrees in astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics.
"Among known U.S. baccalaureate-origin institutions, African American science and engineering doctorate recipients, the top 8, and 20 of the top 50 were HBCUs. 50% of African American teachers graduated from an HBCU," she added.
On Tuesday, Aug. 9, National Black Business Month encourages alumni, friends and students of black education to find ways to show support for the more than 100 HBCUs as contributors, referring students, lobbying legislators and other policy makers. Within Black Parents Guide, there is a directory of innovative cutting edge research and instructional programs at more than 100 NAFEO members.
"The data demonstrate clearly that HBCUs are doing the heavy lifting of educating black students, especially, in growth and high need disciplines," added Baskerville. "Increasing numbers of other students who want to attain a degree in a smaller, richly diverse environment, are enrolling and matriculating at HBCUs. HBCUs have a student population that is 30 % diverse on average, faculty that are 50% diverse, on average; figures that Historically White Institutions who believe in the benefits of a diverse student body and diverse faculty should envy."
Blackbusinessmonth.com will feature some of the cutting edge programs taking place at historically-black colleges and universities in a special section beginning Aug. 9.
In Georgia and Louisiana, moves are afoot to merge or consolidate HBCU campuses, a step which was blocked two decades ago when Southern states attempted to close some campuses.
