Throughout my high school career, my coaches and some of my teachers have pushed me to go towards an HBCU not only to get my education but to better myself and to become a young educated black man. My teachers and my coaches have stressed to me that being educated and knowledgeable is a source of power. They told me to work hard toward my career but be educated, knowledgeable, wise, poised, and smart about my decisions. They also told me that whatever college I attend, HBCU or PWI, to work towards my life goal and don’t let anyone stop me.
Every student is different, we all have our own separate set of goals that we want to achieve. The institution of your choosing should reflect what you need and/or trying to pursue, and especially not the opinions of others. I transferred from a PWI to an HBCU so I’m speaking from my experience based on my point of view and my observations while attending.
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The choice of whether to go to a PWI or an HBCU for the undergraduate/master’s degree is a personal conclusion and depends upon the person and what they are going for. Some schools only offer so much and sometimes the school you want to go to may not have your major. When you compare both schools you will see that PWI institutions usually have student bodies made up mostly of whites, with different races such as African American, Hispanic, Asian, and more. A historically black college or university can usually have student bodies made up mostly of blacks, Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics, and other races. Comparing schools shouldn’t be based on what and who goes there or who graduated there, it should be based on your needs to go forth into your major. But when you compare the people or culture, you see that HBCU attendees/alums are under the impression that the people that attended PWI’s think they’re somewhat “better” or more “sophisticated” than HBCU students for attending schools that are more highly known by their “Big Name”. Then you have some of the black PWI attendees/alums that think HBCUs are too “ghetto” or do not have the proper resources. This is true sometimes but only because a lot of the HBCU schools do not get equal funding as other schools do. Because of this, they would rather go to well-known schools for xyzzy reasons.
A lot of people weigh in on a lot when both schools can produce big names. I think when people see what a school has produced, they think “well, this school is better because of such and such graduated from there”. a lot of the Black PWI attendees will say that too. Also, you’ll hear a lot that may get the impression that HBCU attendees think they’re “more woke,” or more Knowledgeable for attending a black institution over a white one. This comparison also involves the idea of which degree holds more weight because when most jobs see your HBCU degree and then see another person with a PWI degree, they’ll likely take the PWI one because of the bigger name.
Both schools have their pros and con, but I am going to have to say that an HBCU is better in my opinion. I feel like any HBCU is underrated for what it can produce. But whether you attend an HBCU or a PWI you go for one purpose and that purpose is to get your education. Many people have the idea that by attending a Predominantly White Institution they will get a higher level of education, but you could easily get the same at an HBCU. I transferred from a PWI to the HBCU I am attending now, and I can tell you the feeling is different, and the environment is entirely different as well. The two could be remarkably similar but also vastly different in certain areas.
The PWI I went to was Indiana Tech University. This was a private college as well. I can say I enjoyed myself and enjoyed the people I met but it just did not feel like home. I didn’t feel like I was supported like how I feel now. After I’ve done some research on the graduation rate, a lot of sources say black graduates from historically black colleges and universities are significantly more likely to feel an enormous amount of support while in college than their black peers who graduated from predominantly white institutions (RAY). HBCUs have always been a strong influence in assisting African
American students in their studies. That doesn’t mean that grades are handed out on a silver platter but there is more of an understanding from the students and professors. Not only do they feel comfortable but there is a level of understanding. For example, students usually go for an environment around what they were raised with while they were young. So, a black student picking an HBCU is more comfortable for them than picking a college far away that’s a PWI.
I don’t have a lot of compare and contrast mostly because I see them as just another Institute of learning. Even though I’m fully towards an HBCU, everyone has their own different experiences with which school they attend. Personally, the reason I choose this HBCU is that my girlfriend goes here as well, and I’ve always wanted to go to an HBCU ever since I was younger and watched “Drumline”. Your school of your choosing should be based on your major and how you feel, not on everyone’s silly opinions on where they think you should attend.
Works Cited
RAY, SEAN SEYMOUR, AND JULIE. https://news.gallup.com/poll/186362/grads-historically-black-colleges-edge.aspx. 27 October 2015.
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