Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are known for their rigorous academics, unparalleled marching bands and an unimaginable culturally-awakening experience for African American students. Especially now, as the country has exposed racial profiling and prejudice (again), protecting these safe spaces is essential.
For decades, most of the nations leading Black professionals including Black doctors, lawyers, attorneys, dentists, social workers and educators proudly hail from HBCU campuses. But, while Black colleges develop the nation’s leading Black STEM, corporate, and political leaders, it fails to attract the likes of top Black Athletes, who flock to Division 1, “Big 10” schools, with a proven pipeline of heading to professional sports leagues.
100% of these schools are predominantly white institutions (PWIs). PWIs were not originally created to include African Americans, and some in fact, didn’t allow Black students to enroll! As undeniable as Black athletic talent is, this began to change, and present day, Blacks make up the majority of these “ivy-league” PWIs basketball, football and other sports teams.
Mo Williams, former National Basketball Association (NBA) player announced earlier this year that he would be taking on a new role as the men’s head basketball coach at Alabama State University tweeted his thoughts on how to “#ChangeTheGame”
Williams also followed up with another tweet where he included the hashtag, “#HBCUonly.”
Black colleges are long overdue to be the hubs for producing top Black athletes. This year, one of the top Black athletes, Trace Young, made an unprecedented move to only pursue Black colleges. He will be training on Williams’ team next year at Alabama State University and we hope this is the beginning of a new trend.
