BLACK by chance, HBCU by choice
I remember the feelings of discouragement after telling my Latina mentor I wanted to go to Florida A&M, a public Historically Black University, and she said to me, “Don’t go to an HBCU, you will have better opportunities at PWIs”. As I write this in the comfort of my University, the Historically Black & Illustrious North Carolina A&T State, I am proud to be the epitome of what opportunity looks like for a student who chose an HBCU, despite the negative connotations.
Now before I shift this narrative, I want to be clear that my mentor has been a prominent figure in my life since I took her Spanish class in 6th grade, offering me her wisdom, support, and love for 8 years, so there is no doubt she had my best interest at heart with her advice. She has opened doors of opportunities for me that have expanded my horizons through the lens of culture, travel, philanthropy, and more.
It’s this narrative that Historically Black Colleges and Universities cannot fulfill the futures of Black people that I will lay to rest. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were developed in the 19th century to create sacred spaces of education and opportunity when it was denied to black bodies as a human right.
As a black person in this country, in this world, it is not often that we get a choice in the way that we exist in the world. We have to navigate so many avenues when entering spaces, weighing if we will be accepted, understood, considered, respected, and the list goes on. The thought of releasing this worry for the next four years consolidated my choice of an HBCU.
From my K-12 years, I was always an Honor Roll student. After transitioning from my inner city, predominantly black Elementary school, I attended the former Samuel M. Inman middle school, named after a 19th-century cotton merchant. Here I was first exposed to the “culture shock”, oftentimes being the only black student in honors classes.
Here was where my first experiences in understanding the spectrum of racism in our society occurred, from the micro-aggressions of being the last pick for group assignments with my white counterparts, to the segregation of classrooms, all the way to white students at my middle school doing blackface.
I went on to attend Henry W. Grady High School, which was named after a White supremacist journalist. After the 2020 civil rights movement, the overdue fight to have my high school’s name changed to Midtown High was successful, and I was the last graduating class under the name of Grady. Here the oppressive environment for colored students fueled my inclination to attend an HBCU for higher education.
This is the most technical summary that I can give to create an idea of what my educational opportunities were like going to historically racist schools. See, I had no choice in being a black human being, nor in the structure that my color played in my education. In choosing an HBCU, I got to choose a history that has the mission of uplifting and networking hundreds of thousands of people who were BLACK by Chance.
With this choice, in just my second year of attending A&T as a Journalism student, I have launched this blog, networked with hundreds of students, became empowered in the political process, and if I continue, this story will extend beyond its limit. Nevertheless, I am paving a future for myself that my University is helping to be achievable through opportunity and accommodating the unique needs of my sociodemographic background.
Fellow A&T Aggies @luscioussliaa & @luv4jojo are featured in the Breaking Curses Hoodie.
My fellow A&T Aggie Cousin @jaayfrom.ig was featured in the Black Unity Hoodie as we celebrated the first successful event of my school organization, Humans First.
I co-founded Humans First in partnership with the NC A&T University Police Department to build a better community with the student body and officers.
Fellow A&T Aggies are featured in the Aggie Pride Hoodie.
This photo shoot was in collaboration with Embro Industries, an editorial for black visionaries and creative minds. Embro is owned by a fellow Aggie who is a colleague and friend of mine, Jason Vaughn.
This photo shoot was in collaboration with Alexus B. Photography.
Alexus is a fellow Aggie who is an exceptional businesswoman, mother, and wife. She was the first person I networked with during my Freshman year at A&T and her photography business has grown before my eyes. She is yet another example of Black excellence at my HBCU and of what being Flier represents, ELEVATION!
As there are infinitely varying experiences and reasoning in choices for choosing an HBCU, I feel it is only right that I make it clear for any black future, current, or graduated students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, it’s Black by Chance, HBCU by Choice.
Click Link to Shop Flier Attire HBCU Collection
*Share a comment on why you chose your HBCU & Rep your set!!! #AGGIEPRIDE*
