Historically Black Colleges and Universities were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They were intended to provide education for the African-American community. Yet, there are white, Mexican, Asians, and many other ethnicities allowed to attend these schools. If the point of an HBCU is to give Black students a chance to receive a higher education, how is this fair?
If “Black colleges and universities” is within the title, then those are the people who should be able to apply and attend. HBCUs should be something people of color can experience for their ancestors, who were unable to. I think the purpose to give people of color a chance at a higher education is missed with the diversity. The Black students who were rejected could have been admitted if other ethnicities were not able to apply.
If the availability of a greater education for Black people had been applied in 1964, I do not believe this would be a discussion today. Just four years prior, in 1960, Ruby Bridges was the first African American to desegregate William Frantz Elementary school. Many of Bridge’s white classmates were pulled out of school because their parents would not allow them to attend school with a Black child.
Segregation was an extremely violent, sad, and unfair era for the Black community. Black students were turned down by many white schools. If they were accepted, they received little to no education and unfair treatment. I strongly believe everyone should receive good education and freedom to apply and attend any school just not an HBCU.
Other ethnicities should not have any desire to attend a historically Black colleges or universities. These schools should be treated as something valuable in the interest of the Black people who would not have this opportunity anywhere else. This is selfish that Black people were not allowed to have 107 schools to themselves. This could be looked at as reparations for slaves who were denied the access to simply hold a pencil.
