President Joe Biden uttered more stupid comments — and the rest of us can certainly learn something from it: This time, while with First Lady Jill Biden, he had visited Bowie State University on the eve of the election Monday evening, November 7, campaigning for Wes Moore and other Maryland candidates on the ballot in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
According to Fox News, the leader of the free world told Bowie State students who attended the rally the unthinkable: Despite not having the same endowments, they were “just as bright” as students who attended predominantly white institutions.
“Look, talking about my historic commitment to HBCUs that includes $5.8 billion I put in the budget for HBCUs. You know why? HBCUs don’t have the endowments that others have. But guess what, you’re just as smart, you’re just as bright, you’re just as good as any college in America. And that money, that money is to build laboratories and other things for the future that you need to have access to,” Biden said.
Several social media users criticized Biden for his comment, calling it another example of him making a racial gaffe, including conservative author Jason Howerton, who asked, “The way this man treats black people––like little children––is so da*n offensive. Why say this about [sic] an HBCU? Just as smart as who? What are you trying to say with this nonsense?”
Howerton, of course, is correct. Besides, it’s not Biden’s first racial gaffe. For example, infamously patronizing Black voters, he declared, “I tell you, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for Trump or me, then you ain’t Black” during his 2020 presidential campaign.
Then, during the 2020 primary, “poor kids are just as bright and talented as White kids” was, what Biden thought to be, and like YoungBloodz, “Presidential.”
Of course, HBCU students are as bright as PWI students. Biden is the only person saying otherwise. His comments earlier this month show that Biden’s handlers should be working hard to instill within him the proverb less is more.
For your convenience, I have listed below some facts regarding the nation’s 101, which are the last cultural jewels that Black people have left in this country.
- HBCUs produce almost 20 percent of all Black graduates, enrolling 10 percent of all Black students. The above is despite these schools makeup only 3 percent of American colleges, per UNCF.
- Compared to non-HBCU, the cost of attendance at an HBCU is 28 percent more affordable.
- “A whopping 25% of African American graduates with STEM degrees come from HBCUs. Eight HBCUs were among the top 20 institutions to award the most science and engineering bachelor’s degrees to Black graduates from 2008-2012.” [UNCF]
- “An HBCU graduate can earn an additional $927,000 in their lifetime, which is 56% more than they could expect without their HBCU degrees or certificates. From start to finish, an HBCU education is a setup for success.” [UNCF]
