HBCU Institutions falling Apart due to Economic Climate

 

I remember inquiring about enrollment to Spelman College when I lived in Atlanta in one of their Adult Off Campus programs just so that I could have an HBCU (Historically Black College & University) on my resume. Some say the class division at some of these colleges is problem, never experienced it however it exists. Now, these educational institutions, some dating back to the early 1800's are falling into disrepair and chaos, with less than the stellar "higher education" they usually are prided for. Check out this article in "Breaking Brown" about the issues facing some of the best and brightest in Academia. 

Many historically black colleges are in the fight of their lives as they struggle to stay afloat in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Money is already tight and changes  made to student loan requirements by the Obama administration hasn’t made things any easier. It is a perfect storm and not all historically black colleges are expected to survive.
McClatchy interviewed Dillard University student Jasmine Stewart, who expressed how her university’s money problems are impacting her education:

The public university has no football team, no marching band and teachers who often come from other countries and speak with accents she can’t understand. Parts of the campus that Hurricane Katrina damaged eight years ago, including the library, have yet to be fully repaired. In a student lounge where Stewart sometimes hangs out, 20-year-old Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias are made available as study aids.

She added: “The college experience isn’t what I thought it would be.” And Stewart is not alone in her disappointment. Grambling football players recently boycotted a game in order to draw attention to the dismal conditions at their school.