Importance Of Attending An HBCU

An HBCU, or Historically Black College and University, is a College or Universities geared towards building a learning institution specifically for students of African-American descent to safely matriculate while also learning about and celebrating their legacy of black excellence. HBCUs have been around as long as African Americans have been able to educate themselves. With constitutional approval, HBCUs have continued to flourish throughout history Many students attend HBCUs to receive higher education, but there is much more to the HBCU experience than an academic career. While being the hallmark of extended matriculation for African Americans, HBCUs are also a source for great accomplishment and pride for the nation as a whole. They also …show more content…
An HBCU equips African-Americans with the tools to survive and excel in a world of discrimination. In addition, attending a university and networking with other like-minded students who are attempting to blaze the same path as you are intriguing. Meeting other people who will ultimately lead to the birth of a lifelong journey towards success and progression is promising. Being able to relate to your peers, coming from shockingly similar backgrounds, and sharing cultural experiences also contributes to why attending an HBCU is one of the best possible choices to make as an African-American student in the 21st century. The supportive atmosphere that an HBCU offers a black student is incomparable to any other institution. Above all else, is the need to improve education for African Americans. Prior to the foundation of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1837, higher education for African Americans was non-existent. Attending an HBCU is taking a tour through history and using what you will eventually learn to contribute to a successful future. In comparison to PWIs, HBCUs are seen as inferior and incompetent. Many employers value credentials and degrees from predominantly white institutions. It is exactly this that leads HBCUs to increase its rigor and educate their students accordingly. HBCUs also work as pipelines in the form of feeding graduated students to employers …show more content…
For one, HBCUs show the African-American community that people of color can go to college and do great things. The black college experience shows the community that people of color are able to defy the stereotypes and value their education. When African-American students return to their communities, they bring the college experience with them. All that they have learned inside and outside of the classroom will prove crucial to their survival. The black college experience is something that every black student should be able to attest to. Being surrounded by people who are on the same missions as you, who have come from the same background, and who are on the road to higher learning and thinking is a blessing. The same reasons that HBCUs were founded should be the same reasons why black students attend them. In addition to the safe haven that is created by the HBCU atmosphere, the student culture along with various organizations offer plenty of immersion into attending an HBCU. You will not only excel academically, but one’s learning and advancement will benefit them as people. Community service is also a huge part of the HBCU experience. Students will learn the importance of giving back to younger scholars in high school, middle school, and the community at large. As a student at an HBCU, you will be able to abrade the stereotype of uneducated African-Americans who do not give