Point Six: Lift Every Historically Black College and University

 

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NC must financially support our Historically Black Colleges and Universities to develop equitable infrastructure and programs with doctoral-level leadership for today’s challenges.

RATIONALE:  For 100 years until l865, N.C. enforced laws that made it a crime for slaves to learn to read and write, and after emancipation, until the late 1960’s, N.C. enforced strictly segregated and strictly unequal funding to the 11 Black colleges that Courageous Black parents, educators, and anti-racist white teachers and churches had started and helped survive against terrible odds and racist attacks.  The State funneled all escheated property, including slaves, for the first 170 years of its existence to the white-male only UNC-CH.  The state now throws money into programs to create “adequate education” with  no clue as to whether they will create the motivated community leaders our HBCU’s have produced for decades.

Debra Tyler-Horton, NC Justice Center:  Our 11 historically Black colleges are ready and willing to take up the battle for our communities.  Here are Tameka Thomas, Pres. of the NAACP at Central, Alexandra fields from St. Augustine, and A. J. Wyrick, President of our Youth And College Division to explain:

Tameka Thomas: Did you know Since 1865 North Carolina’s HBCUs have been under funded and lack funding for academic programs that will keep them relevant for the changing economy and society’s evolving challenges ?

Did you know  North Carolina has more HBCUs (11) than any other state except Alabama and more public HBCUs (5) than any other state?

Did You Know that less than half of the almost $900 million in building and repair needs of the public HBCUs were met by the 2000 $3.1Higher Education Bond.

Did You Know that Our university system expects the five public HBCUs to increase enrollment by 50% in the next few years?

Alexandra Fields:  DID YOU KNOW our HBCU’s do not have the needed programs to address the global society, global warming challenges?

Did you know Only one HBCU is designated a doctoral/intensive institution while difficult social and economic problems, such as environmental injustice, and education and health care disparities in our communities cry out for creative new leadership and ideas?

A. J. Wyrick:  That’s Why  the North Carolina General Assembly must set up a Joint Committee with a budget and staff to assess history and current strengths of the11 public and private N.C. HBCU’s.

That’s why we demand the Legislature establish an HBCU Development Commission with staff and a long-term mandate to increase public and private funding for the HBCUs and develop a rational division of labor and curriculum between them so each will enhance its reputation for excellence in various fields 

That’s why this Development Commission should recommend and be sure there is funding for better need-based scholarships, higher faculty salaries, and better recruitment programs.

That’s why we demand Increase academic programs, especially at the doctoral level that address pressing education, environmental science, health and other problems in our communities.