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www.thcmaroontiger.com
February 29 - March 6,2012
OPINIONS
9
My Education is Just As Good As Yours
Christian L. Saint-Vil
Opinions Editor
csaintvil03@yahoo.com
A few weeks ago, I jovially
engaged in virgin cock
tails and conversation with a
few classmates and some of
my predominately white in
stitution undergraduate com
rades; but of course our con
versation quickly shifted to
that very subject that every
student of a historically Black
college talks about when he
meets a new PWI acquain
tance - the misconceptions
of a historically Black college
or university.
I imagine meeting a student
of an HBCU to be like an
American meeting a Haitian
Earthquake survivor who has
gone back to Haiti to live after
migrating to another country.
Not saying that attending an
HBCU is devastating in na
ture, but that’s almost the
reaction you get from those
who don't attend an HBCU
, regardless of their race. The
question “why?” always tracks
the statement “I go to a his
torically Black college.”
It must have been curios
ity about life at a HBCU that
raised questions of diversity
in HBCUs and academic rigor
within my PWI acquaintances
because it wasn’t the drinks.
That night I could see that
my acquaintances were doing
what those who had not trav
elled down my scholastic path
frequently did, questioning the
soundness of the decisions
of today’s African- American
scholars to attend historically
Black colleges and universities.
I choose to answer this in
quisition on the last week of
Black history month for a rea
son. Despite the monumental
change this country has made,
there is still a need for the his
torically black college and uni-
versity.The HBCU is no less to
the African-American etudiant
of today than the oppressed
Negro scholar of yesterday.
The much-needed affirma
tive action is an advantageous
step tool for the minority stu
dent that is in favor of attend
ing a predominately white
institution; however in juxta
position, there exist no step
tool for the shortcoming at
any historically Black college
or university.
The road to success here
is evenly paved with impedi
ments galore, unburden by the
aide of excuses of color for
all students to trot. Excuses
of prohibiting color die at the
doors of all historically Black
colleges. It is here that the true
struggle for success occurs. It
is here that we learn our true
potential in competing with
out aide of excuses like “I only
failed because I’m Black.”
As far as academic rigor is
concerned, my education is
just as good as any. The only
difference is I sit in a classroom
full of male students who look
like me. This is a simple fact
for some, but important for
me. Constantly being the only
person of color in all my AP
and Honors courses, or even
simple college prep courses,
in a predominately white high
school was completely ener
vating to say the least.
After such an experience,
one begins to feel like he is
the only one of his race try
ing to make an attempt to
do something with his life. At
an HBCU, that notion dies
and so does the token black
boy that has constantly been
praised as a result of the neg
ative light that the Black youth
have been shown in.
For the first time in my ex
istence, I have been given the
opportunity to be around
young African American men
who are striving for success
in all areas of life. Admission
to this realization was not
easy as others would like to
assume either.
Pair caring professors with
the desire and need to edu
cate the Black male and fe
male and close the literacy
gap and you will see it makes
for thought provoking con
versations in and out of the
classroom, as it so often does
here at Morehouse. My edu
cation at an HBCU is prepar
ing me to be well versed in
many subjects, not just my ma
jor Also, attending an HBCU
forces me to think critically
about what some other in
stitutions have purposely left
out of their curriculum- the
history of Black people.
There is not only academic
rigor at an HBCU, but a sense
of empowering competition.
One is empowered to attract
his very own success by the
sight of one’s classmate's own
strides for achievements and if
you want to see “diversity” you
must attend a HBCU. Students
here are from all over the globe
speaking various dialects of
English, bearing different shades
of brown and textures of hair
In a month where we recog
nize the great men and women
of color who have gotten us
thus far; we must acknowledge
the importance of the HBCU
in their accomplishments as
well as the African- American
youths of todays’ dire need for
the HBCU. Lastly, we have to
do our parts in the eradica
tion of the misconception of
the HBCU, because my educa
tion is just as good as the next
man’s education.
Every Month is Black History Month
j i i' I.-.;; ; A\ i
1 : i: ■ : ‘f> fL fir iT-ib!:
Anthony Galloway Jr
Staff Writer
agallowayjr@yahoo.com
I find that I can no longer
celebrate or acknowledge
Black History Month because
it is modern day segregation.
“Normal” or “regular”
American and World History
is taught every other month of
the year, but black people want
to be acknowledged as having
contributed to society as well.
The solution was to create what
started out as a week, and later
became a month, when blacks
could honor their people. To
day, in schools across the na
tion, a special “black curricu
lum” is taught that is separate
from the normal agenda, but
just as equal.
The idea of a Black history
month infers a special and
unique use, purpose, and rel
evance to only Black people.
It reminds me of the patho
logical terms we use today like
“Black music,” “Black church,”
“Black school” and “Black
neighborhood.” Historically,
it makes me think of “Black
entrances,” “Black fountains,”
“Black pews” and “Black train
cars.” In my mind, I do not
see these terms as something
Blacks can have and claim for
their own. I see it as a place
where Blacks were put to lim
it, control and monitor their
movement. It is an illusion of
freedom.
The bigger problem is that
this issue is not special to
Blacks and their month, but
to several people of minor
ity status, such as Hispanics
and women. These minorities
have their own allotted period
of time when they too can
have their people honored.
It is important to under
stand that these months are
more than a mere separation
to highlight, but a separation
from the normal. Facts about
Blacks, Hispanics and women
are not taught in the regular
school curriculum, because
they are not considered regu
lar people. They are not nor
mal and so it is not normal
human history. It must be
separated and emphasized as
an “other” or alternative.
I pose this question, “Why
are the histories of Blacks,
Hispanics and women not in
tegrated and made to coincide
with the normal history les
sons?” When learning about
famous scientists, politicians,
kings and leaders of the na
tion and the world, why can
we not learn about Blacks,
Whites, Hispanics, men and
women alike?
Giving each group a month
does more harm than good.
Rather than giving students
a comprehensive and mean
ingful view of minority con
tributions, it is instead made
to be shallow and sensational.
No longer taught as relevant
or applicable knowledge, it is
received as trivial and almost
mythological. As a result some
students have no problem dis
tancing themselves from these
historical moments because
they see them as tales.
Black history month is less
of a teachable moment and
more of a theme. Like Hal
loween, Easter, Christmas
and many other holidays, it
is a way to decorate and mar
ket. Assigned certain colors
and images, the meaning and
history is watered down and
turned into something fun,
universal and profitable. No
longer do we reflect on the
profound significance and
sometimes darker histories of
these moments, we now ig
norantly go out and take ad
vantage of the Black history
month sale. Showcases are set
up with Blacks films, Black
music, Black books and other
products that one might asso
ciate with black people.
History repeats itself as
Black people and others of
minority status are turned
into sources of unintentional
entertainment and made to be
a profitable spectacle. Black
history month has become an
opportunity to exploit Black
peoples need to belong and
have a source of pride and
identity.
What people everywhere
need to realize and under
stand is that Black history, as
well as the histories of other
minority groups, is not only
significant to that section of
people. Black history is hu
man history, and human his
tory is significant to all peo
ple, every day of the year.
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