HBCU in Atl (Atlanta, Jackson, Hampton: transplants, hotel, public school)

[dorado0359]

Originally Posted by brownhornet

Big ups to talented on the post. What bothers me even moreso than the non-blacks that discourage and downtalk HBCU's are our own people that do it. For some reason people tend to assume that attending a PWC over an HBCU is going to give you some sort of guarantee in life whereas attending an HBCU = failure.

You "hit the nail on the head" with this one!

Nothing "ticks me off" more, than hearing black people dowing and criticizing HBCU's. It's a total discgrace. I don't expect many whites to say anything positive about black institutions, so their comments don't bother me the least. But, time and time again, many blacks put down and criticize these fine institutions with such rich histories.

All three of my kids graduated from HBCU's: Tuskegee, Coppin State and University of Maryland Easter Shore. Also have another family member about to graduate from Howard University.

[afonega1]

My great- great-great uncle was a founding member of Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley ,GA(about an hour South of Atlanta,just below Macon).Since then, a long line of my familiy members have graduated from there.Most recently,in my time .My Grandmother and 2 of her sisters.All three of her children(one of which is my dad where he met my mother there).4 of my moms siblings came from extreme poverty stricken rural South GA to graduate in undergraduate work there.My dad got his doctorate from Georgetown and my mom got her masters from UGA(as well as my dads mother got her Doctorate at 52 years old from UGA in the 1970's.

I was excepted into Emory University,but went to Clayton State University because although i knew I would succeed,I was unsure about the environment at the time.After not getting along with a very demanding (but loving )father,I choose to go in the military after one year at college.During that trime I was stationed in Deleware where I enrolled in Wesley College.The whole time i was there I felt that it was a good school but I was missing the environment of going to a HBCU that i grew up around.My dad Has been a Dean at Clark-ATL, and Morris Brown,a high level director at Clayton State College and University,Georgia Perimeter College and also the first black person to ever be president of GASFAA(the Georgia version of NASFAA-government financial aid.)He has been featured in various national and international forums,television programs,and newspaper articles concerning financial aid programs.

So after I left active duty for a short while.I came back to Georgia and enrolled at Fort Valley State and finished in the top 5 percent.While I admit that due to my family history with the school,I did have some preferential treatment as far as getting paperwork through.However my professors never gave me any slack when it came to work.Mainly because they knew of my dads reputation for being very orderly and by the book(he was in the Army and grew up an Army brat).I worked hard and I graduated near the top.

I never went to graduate school but often think about doing it.I realized that I have all that I need to succeed.People who looked like me took personal interest in seeing that I was capable of achieving more than just doing well in school ,but doing well in my life and in the life of others.To walk the steps that so many of my ancestors walked was special for me.There was a lot of sacrifice to make it happen.I never felt like the "black guy" who is smart as the exception at FVSU like I did at Wesley or Clayton.

My Grandmother is not with us anymore but I think that the images of her in her cap & gown when I was a small child had to do with why myself and my sister have been able to be productive citizens in our society.

Imagine if many of our unfortunate brothers and sisters that did not have such role models or knowledge that greatness has a history in ALL of these HBCU's.Would there be as large a number of those that are falling by the waist side?

[afonega1]

How come its "ghetto" when black kids yell lewd obscenities,get drunk,BBQ everyday,but over at Georgia Tech or other "mainstream" schools when I hang out with my more international and white friends they are doing "panty raids",walk around outside in flip-flops and wet uncombed hair after just getting out of the shower or not showering at all there,turning over cars,stting crap on fire etc,in which cas the only response is :"oh they are just college students,what do you expect?"LOL!!Should it not be the same standard for anybody regardless of race?So sad that we are so critical of each other as if what we have or do makes us less.

[bizchick86]

Nice history af. I never got the experience of an HBCU, but I often thought about it in undergrad, at Emory interestingly enough. On many days the experience was exactly what you said you did not like, being the token black person, having people stare at me as though I were a foreigner. It was truly one of the most bizarre feelings I ever had. Then I look at my girlfriends who went to HBCUs and they all have nothing but praise for their schools.

I wish the same for my child whenever I have one. I would love for my kid to attend an HBCU to both understand the importance of brotherhood/sisterhood and to maintain their own sense of identity. I think they offer so much, and as a people we need to be working hard to preserve those institutions in our culture.

[PKCorey]

I've been at CAU since this fall and I can say, this is the first time, I felt the professors generally cared about your well being and how successful you are in class compared to the other colleges and university I've been too, where you're pretty much a face and that's it....

Best decision, I could have made...

[youngMichaelJackson]

I went to an HBCU, but I didnt go to one in Atlanta. Having went to school at Washington right around the corner, going to the AUC was the last place I wanted to be coming out of high school, so I went to HU instead (GO BISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[PKCorey]

Quick question: Which is closer to campus, Ashby or Vine City? I've done the walk to Ashby 2 times instead of waiting for the bus to 5 Points but I have no idea how far Vine City would in relation...Thanks

[youngMichaelJackson]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

Quick question: Which is closer to campus, Ashby or Vine City? I've done the walk to Ashby 2 times instead of waiting for the bus to 5 Points but I have no idea how far Vine City would in relation...Thanks

I'd say Ashby, but its can get a little "testy" between 2:30-4:00PM on weekdays. At Washington we used to use the Ashby station to "settle our differences" that we couldn't settle during school hours if you catch my drift.

[PKCorey]

I'm good. LOL. I don't get out until 7ish. The 13 just takes forever to come (15-25 mins). It's pretty empty besides the folks standing in front of the barbershop. Other than that, nothing. I'm usually walking at noon (coming to school) or 7pm (leaving)...

[anadyr21]

Originally Posted by brownhornet

Big ups to talented on the post. What bothers me even moreso than the non-blacks that discourage and downtalk HBCU's are our own people that do it. For some reason people tend to assume that attending a PWC over an HBCU is going to give you some sort of guarantee in life whereas attending an HBCU = failure. Any college experience is going to be what you make of it as long as you remember that you're there to better yourself in life and not to party. And speaking of party, many will tell you that HBCU's are nothing more than "party" schools. However, every year a list of the top party schools comes out and there isnt one HBCU listed.

There are a number of reasons people think this.
1. The admissions requirements are a bit lower at some HBCUs, so there's this idea that the only people who go to HBCUs are those who couldn't get into PWCs.
2. I had friends who didn't want to go to HBCUs because to them, it didn't reflect the demographics or the social structure of real world.
3. I've heard this more from upper middle class and above, but the facilities and surrounding neighborhood at HBCUs leave a lot to be desired. If you compare the private school budget and facilities just in Georgia compared to say, Spelman, even I have to admit, it's a major adjustment for this type of student.
4. It's rare, but some blacks just don't quite fit into the HBCU environment.

I see a lot of HU grads (Annex represent!). What other HBCU grads are lurking around here?