TheFanNJ on African American men

Historical Black Colleges and Universities have been trademarked to bring in the best and the brightest African American students. And they shoot down any notion that spills out as African Americans are not progressing, instead of digressing under the current times. And this is because of the notion – 22 states have colleges that are; Historical Black Colleges and Universities, and in those states there’re 4 universities or colleges in each state. Which leads a total of 55 colleges and universities that are considered or are apart of the HBCU Foundation, plus tradition? With an average of 20,000 students for each school – and by doing the average math; 1,100,000 students in a 4 year average gain a degree from the HBCU foundation’s traditional program. And many of them do get credited jobs either within the school system they have left—or in the programs and companies that donate to HBCU foundation. Yet, there are many problems and solutions of success but what about the rest – since nearly less than 1% of the 23% of the African American population attend colleges and universities listed as HBCU. And less than that are African American men, while 14% of the population is in prison—where real numbers lead to 4 million. Then there’s the factor of the men that are unemployed and under employed – where it leads to 18% of the total population. This leads to a range of about 12 million men that have African American heritage are wavering in poverty.

They are not getting respected for their non-traditional roles of gaining an education, such as a trade school. They are not considered highly educated even though they progressed in the educational system. And it has been well noted that many of the large corporations that pay decent salaries are not hiring African American men. And is using the loophole with the minority clause to hire Asian men, and Southern Hemisphere workers—while the lower tier companies are chasing after non-registered residents! Leaving those that who didn’t go to a HBCU left to compete for work with those that have those titles! And I am ecstatic about this because every time you place numbers out there that shows, African American men are being left behind—those in the system rant and range on other sources, as if 1.1 million students every 4 to 5 years can state we as a nation is progressing. Where the population that comes from HBCUs have a percentage of 65% being female – while doing the math less than 200,000 men graduate from a Historical Black College and University? That’s nearly not enough to make Warren Buffet any more excited about hiring African American men.

Yet, what strikes my eyes about these colleges and universities that come from the HBCU Foundation – which host the United Negro College Fund is 17 states are from the south – while the biggest states in America; California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts don’t have ONE college or University in the HBCU Foundation. Colleges like Medgar Evers, and other black colleges that are from New York are not in the HBCU Foundation. And that school brings out some of the best and brightest – and even in New Jersey (St. Elizabeth College) a nursing school for African American women – (all girls school) isn’t and won’t be considered for the HBCU title. That leaves more and more African American students – educated on par with the students from the HBCU foundation out of the mix and morally attacked.

And I am being biased because of the numbers and facts – plus on the notion that I never attended a HBCU foundational school—never qualified for a United Negro College Fund, and racking up over $180,000 in student loans – while working hard for 12 years to gain my Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) from a university that isn’t considered to be in the HBCU category—even though more than 40% of the school has African Americans. And I say, HBCU needs to add more schools onto their list; have New Jersey, New York and California in that mix—expand their pool and then maybe the employment rates will drop – and maybe African American men will get respected more and not less.

Omar Dyer
Masters in Legal Studies
B.A. in Technical Communication
A.A. in Child Studies
A.A. in Children's Literature