Toward the end of 2015, #LeaveItIn2015 surfaced on Twitter regarding arguments and trends to leave in the past as we enter the new year. One tweet I came across said that we should leave the HBCU vs. PWI debate in 2015. I do not agree. The debate about HBCUs, Historically Black Colleges, and PWIs, Predominantly White Institutions, is an important one, especially when it involves the feelings of black students in their learning environments.
We cannot ignore the fact that many HBCUs are struggling to keep their doors open. They are private colleges that don’t receive much, if any, funding from the state — they rely on high tuition and alumni donations. The money they do receive allows them to continue holding classes and accepting students, but it isn’t enough. HBCUs struggle compared to PWIs. Worst of all, there isn’t an HBCU today that I’ve discussed with someone that doesn’t struggle in its financial aid department; students usually have to argue with the department for money owed to them by the university. That being said, HBCUs are still around today because of tradition, but also because of the learning environment that they provide for black students.
Although PWIs usually have larger programs, efficient schoolwide systems, and more funding, there is something they’re missing. PWIs are always missing the point when it comes to catering to their black student body. Black students often say they would rather go to HBCUs because they know that they will be accepted, and their abilities as students will never be questioned based on the color of their skin. For years, black students have had to deal with prejudice in their learning environments, and attending a university seems to escalate those problems.
The real reason why the HBCU vs. PWI debate needs to stay relevant is because they are so different, and a black student trying to figure out which way to go needs to know the ups and downs of both systems. Both entities need to work out the kinks in their systems because they both have flaws. In a perfect world, there would be no HBCU or PWI; there would just be a university where like-minded people come to work, study and learn. But this is not a perfect world, and that is not going to happen, so we need to keep working on both systems and evolving as people. But if we just leave this debate in 2015, we’ll cease to point out the issues, and that’s not what college is about. We’re attending college to develop higher thinking skills which require us to question many things, and if we stop questioning the university systems themselves, they’ve failed us.