Story last updated at 2/17/2010 - 2:24 pm
Dr. Ruth J. Simmons gracefully walks across the Warner Theater stage in Washington D.C. to receive her award from Black Entertainment Television (BET) for Excellence in Education. She thanks her family, staff, and students.
"It is a common practice today to suggest that institutional culture is biased and corrupt, and appointing me president and the chancellor at the time, Steve Robert, took a bold step," she says. "When you really think about it, to announce they were appointing a president of Brown [University] who went to a Black college, that was a bold step."
Dr. Simmons was the first African-American to be appointed president of Brown University and she had her humble beginnings at Dillard University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
HBCUs are a rich tradition in the African-American community. They are not just available for providing post-secondary education for African-Americans, they are available for all Americans. But they did not start off that way.
HBCUs were established after the Civil War. In 1862, Senator Justin Morill wanted to improve the state of public education. The Morill Land Grant Act gave federal land to states to open colleges and universities, but the grant did not apply to opening schools for African-Americans and whites until 1890. Sixteen institutions for African-Americans received land grand funds in 1890. The majority of the public schools were funded by state legislators between 1870 to 1910.
Prior to 1870, African-Americans received support from the American Missionary Association (AMA) and the Freedmen's Bureau. The AMA and Freedmen's Bureau were responsible for setting up private colleges and universities. Between 1861 and 1870, AMA founded seven black colleges and thirteen teaching schools. Black churches became the support of black higher education. In 1965, Part B of the Higher Education Act allowed any HBCU that was established before 1964 were provided direct federal aid.
Today there are 105 HBCUs throughout the nation, with the majority being in the Southern states. Within the 105 schools, 27 offer doctoral programs and 52 offer graduate degree programs. Many HBCUs are well known for some of their outstanding programs, which help in building diversity within the university.
To name a few, the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, (my alma mater) is well known for its engineering program, producing the highest number of African-American engineers in the nation. Howard University in Washington D.C. is well known for its medical programs. North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina has one of the top law schools in the nation. Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana both have excellent pharmacy programs.
Like Dr. Ruth Simmons, a successful African-American woman who attended a HBCU, there are many who attended and received a quality education at a HBCU. Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Reverend Jesse Jackson attended Morehouse College and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, respectively. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan from the House of Representatives attended Texas Southern University. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall attended Lincoln University. Author of the award winning book, "The Color Purple," Alice Walker attended Spelman College and author Toni Morrison attended Howard University. The list can go on and on. HBCUs have produced many prominent people who have made major contributions to our country.
In appreciation of and continuing to promote quality education, please come out from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, to the Soul Food Cuisine Luncheon at the ANB Hall. This annual fundraiser goes towards a scholarship for students who will be pursuing higher education. Tickets are being sold at Hearthside Books. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students.
Lyndsay Brown is a member of Juneau's Black Awareness Association. She is originally from Durham, N.C., where she graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. She works as a speech pathologist with the Juneau School District, and attends Breakthrough Church.
