I am currently a student of Claflin University. For those of you who are not in the know, which most of you probably aren't, Claflin University is an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) in South Carolina. Like other HBCU's in the United States, Claflin boasts about how this is the experience of a lifetime for its students. With 92% of them being African American, Claflin offers them an experience they couldn't receive any place else...unfortunately this isn't always a good thing.
Historically Black Colleges/Universities were founded by wealthy investors primarily as a means of white elites to sweep their dirty laundry under the proverbial rug. That's to say that whites of the day figured there was no better way to get rid of their mixed kids than to send them off to a college made especially for them. Look at the early yearbooks of most any HBCU...their first few graduating classes were comprised of extremely light-skinned people.
Enough about history, let's deal in the present day. Today HBCU's boast about their ability to teach to the minority student, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in a white-dominated society. In my experience, this is a load of bullocks. While it may have been a handy experience to have back in the 40's where racism ran rampant, in today's society this does more to hinder the student than to help.
Society's becoming increasingly global, and in this era of interconnectedness and cultural diffusion, it is a shame to have relics such as HBCU's around still trying to offer a uniquely "black perspective."
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