Why Black Colleges Are Needed

The same goes for potential students. Those from the best schools with the best scores and no financial constraints will and can make their own choices. At Black College Fund schools, everyone with a dream and a commitment to excel is eligible to enroll, regardless of race, class, gender, or ethnic heritage. It has always been this way.

The faculties and staffs expect the best from students and many of them become lifelong mentors and friends to their students. They see the power of potential and they nurture, cajole, and extract it whether the students are National Merit Scholars or underachieving dreamers. The work these schools do is not just impressive, it is critical because many of these students would fall through the cracks and never earn a college degree though they have the intellectual capacity to do so.

They will tell you “Here I’m more than a number.” From astronauts to business people, the schools do a miraculous job every day. They have small classes so students can have individualized attention and the space to grow and blossom. Yes, most small schools offer intimate classroom settings, low teacher/pupil ratios, and dedicated faculties; but these schools help students understand that they are being educated for service, for leadership.

One professor put it this way: “Yes, I expect you to go out and make a lot of money, but it’s about more than that. I tell them I expect them to make a difference.”

That expectation that students will be successful and world-class citizens is one of the key components. Students may study abroad and gain valuable leadership and critical thinking skills, global insights and sensibilities and they enroll in and graduate from some of the nation’s and world’s finest graduate schools. They are competitive wherever they go.

Why you should care about the future of United Methodist- related historically Black colleges and universities?

Consider this: Education continues to be the great equalizer in our society, and those who are well educated will continue to be successful and carry their own weight. One slogan says: “If you think education is expensive, try to figure the cost of ignorance.”

Having an educated populace is critical to the advancement of society and most specifically, for The United Methodist Church. These schools are a good source of diverse leadership for the church’s agencies, boards, annual conferences, and higher education institutions. Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook, president emeritus of Dillard University in New Orleans, writes, “Black Colleges are also sources and catalysts of leadership for the church, culture, and the professions, as well as shining examples of cultural pluralism, educational diversity, integrity, justice, humanistic consciousness and ethical sensitivity, and the liberal arts tradition. They effectively and passionately bridge the communities of faith and learning.”

The 10 undergraduate Black College Fund schools produce up to 95 percent of the Black graduates (many of whom are the first in their families to go to college) from United Methodist-related colleges in their states.

The schools’ commitment to teaching, research and public service, coupled with the productivity of master’s and doctoral graduate students, addresses many of society’s problems. The schools are increasingly more accountable for student success and institutional stability so the quality of the graduates is second to none. The schools continue to be a good investment in the hearts, minds and dreams of young African and African-American students and their families.

Cynthia Bond Hopson is the assistant general secretary for the Black College Fund and Ethnic Concerns of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.