PWI vs HBCU

I go to a PWI, only because I refuse to be 50,000 in debt when I graduate. I always wanted to go to a HBCU(HU) and I do feel like it is a great experience, and will probably be the only time that you will be able to be in touch with and influenced by black people from so many walks of life. But I love my school, although it is PWI it probably has more black students than alot of HBCU(because many are small), in fact in a AFAM journal my university was listed because of the high number of AFAMs who have completed grad school here, we have graduated more afams than some HBCUs such as NSU, Notre Dame, and some other big name PWI schools. However, we need to stop with the inferiority complex; eveyrthing that is white is NOT good, just becase one person goes to a PWI doesn't mean they will have HALF of the sucess that someone who attended a HBCU. A degree= a degree, what matter the most is if you are the best student/ best employee you can be. Many employers don't look so much for big name schools they look at your character. PWI have their faults as do HBCUs, do not attend one or the other because of what others tell you, do your own research, find your own path. Good Luck!

hmmm....

I'm going into my second semester at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and I'm a Jouralism major. U of L is what you'd call a PWI, and I have no problem with it, but I know I'd like to attend a smaller liberal arts school with a more in depth African American History department, and Dillard seems like a perfect fit. Although, I attended schools with even less diverse students (my high school had less than 20 out of 300 black seniors), and I'm constantly being criticized for not being black enough or not fitting into the stereotype. I really want to attend an HBCU because of the sense of history and atmosphere of being around (what I would assuume to be) like minded students. NOTE: THIS IS NOT MY OPINION It seems that the common consensus on HBCUS is that they are party schools and that they are filled with easily distracted Hip Hp heads. Or have I been misinformed??

I am NOT an HBCU graduate but I wrestled with the decision to go to one. My father attended Virginia Union and for a time I really looked into a HBCU. As a recruited athlete, I had a lot of options and instead chose to go to a school that has only 6% African Americans. In my mind it was the best decision I ever made. I learned that white society has a waaaay different definition of success than we do. Its not enough to gain wealth, but power and influence instead. Yes, we would be able to network easier among ourselves at a HBCU, but we only make up 13% of the population. We are cutting off ourselves off from the other 80% of American economics, politics and influence. Im not saying that going to an HBCU will hinder you from doing this, but I am saying it is way easier to do it from a university that is IN the mainstream. I have done things and seen things that I never would have been able to do had I gone to a HBCU. The President of the United States gave me my degree, I have lived overseas, I have met with the most powerful people on the planet and I just turned 26 years old. All I am saying is that if HBCU are going to continue to be effective, they have to start preparing their grads for success in white america while respecting the roots of black america.

I graduated from a PWI - University of Washington in Seattle. Located in the Pacific NW region. It was pretty isolated out there. There wasn't much of a choice when it came to college. It was either that or some far out remote college in a small city. So I really had no choice. I did not have the money to fly out to the East coast or the South to visit or attend an HBCU. I could only dream of doing that and then I was also a teenage mom at age 18 so I came from a lot of struggle. I went with convenience and out there that means a Predominantly White Institution. University of Washington was a somewhat lonely and depressing experience in some major ways. I got my degree in American Ethnic Studies as a way to balance my experience. I actually enjoyed those classes so much that I majored in it as a way to compensate for being at a PWI {looking back I should have double majored or pursued teaching for a career to pay back the loans with}. I feel that those type of classes should be REQUIRED for all privileged white students. This society reinforces ignorance and racism and white supremacy because of the tight controls of the system in terms of money, government controls, media, and cultural norms. Even inflation is controlled by the government. I remember in one class a white girl stomped off and left because she just couldn't understand or handle the knowledge. At this university I was often one of two blacks in a 200 student class. We had a Black Student Union and black greek societies {couldn't believe that they charged $2000 plus to get hazed into this and no I didn't join Sigma Gamma Rho or AKAs}. Also the ruthless competitive nature of PWI's can be hard to take. The business school at UW was way too competitive for me. It was just ridiculous. Too many qualified white applicants plus (possibly) less qualified black applicants = anger over affirmative action. We actually LOST affirmative action RIGHT AFTER I got into the UW {I did have a super ACT score and community college experience} because of that competitive nature. Seems to me they need more funding for more schools to fit more students. Then affirm. action wouldn't be such an issue. As long as it's hard for whites it will be that much harder for blacks. And at this point society is ruthlessly competitive and it's tough. Part of their culture and society {as in "progress"} is based on this. I remember one white girl whined about the remote possibility of a rich black woman getting in on affirmative action. They are just OBSESSED with laws to do with us BLACK PEOPLE. They imagine things that are not there. There was one news article spoof at my university highlighting a black student named "Bubba" who was fresh outta jail going to classes with them. It was an offensive caricature. People were outraged. The idea is that we are too stupid for their schools. That was the writers prejudice based on ignorance that runs society. There's just such a huge sense of privilege and entitlement among white people. And fear. Lots of fear. In reality it's blacks and natives/hispanics that are entitled to some payback for what this country has done. It is us who should be very afraid of our future here. Many whites don't want "certain types" of blacks or natives/hispanics to go to school with them or their "precious" children. They don't know how to make change in society but they know they don't want to be around those "certain types" of blacks and natives/hispanics that their culture has tried to destroy. It's like "Oh that's too bad" and on the other it's "But get me {or THAT} AWAY!" and so on a very real level it's up to US to help OURSELVES in any way that we can in life... hence HBCU's. In regards to schools there is more to it than just PWI vs HBCU... you also must consider how close it is to friends and family, percentage of blacks in the city or town, how close it is to other black schools or areas, how large the school is, what types of degrees they offer, etc. Research all aspects of a school. I think location is everything. If you are near other opportunities it will soften the blow of any other pain you experience. If you get to stay near FAMILY you will have some support to sustain you. If your college is near FRIENDS you will maintain your old social network. I have researched North Carolina A&T and I really think I want to go there for my 2nd degree. Because I am in Charlotte, NC now, I can actually drive over and visit. My biggest concern with the HBCU controversy is my in state resident status and the FINANCIAL AID package. But students with a degree can only get Stafford (and private) loans so I don't see how it's possible to mess that up. I'm guessing most folks are complaining because of too many loans and not enough grants, work study, etc. But somehow people still graduate and find jobs or go to professional/grad school. I guess you gotta be more frugal and live cheap. Then make sure that your degree will lead to a definite career so that you will be able to PAY BACK THE LOANS {Eeek!}.

Distractions, white schools have disctractions. You never see a black college ranked in the top 100 of party schools. It is all white schools. You may get distracted. that is your choice. :lol: