Madness or elitism? African Americans who reject HBCUs

Black Issues in Higher Education, April 21, 2005 by Theodis E. Dancy, II

Dereglement is a sociological term difficult to translate into English. Of French origin, its closest English translations are "derangement" or "madness," almost implying the presence of evil. Nevertheless, the term dereglement came to mind during focus groups I conducted with seven Black male college-aged students who either attend or attended predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in the South.

As a graduate of a historically Black college, I was eager to gain insight into the participants' reasons for choosing their respective schools. Our discussions ranged from home and family life to pre-college experiences. Then the conversation turned to HBCUs. As the men became increasingly candid, I began to feel like an outsider. They "good naturedly" referred to each other using the "n-word," yet the word took on a different meaning when describing African-American students and or events at HBCUs. For example, they referred to the HBCU tradition of dressing fashionably every week as "n-wordish" behavior. In addition, the men's descriptions of HBCU events they attended and HBCU courses in which they enrolled were largely negative.

My efforts to understand the hostility surrounding these young men's perceptions of HBCUs were in vain. One student clearly stated that he "was better" than students who attended HBCUs, despite sharing a similar profile with many of the students who attend Black colleges. The young men used words like "civilized" and "sophisticated" when describing Black students who attend PWIs, while they referred to those attending HBCUs as "vulgar," "ghetto" and "disrespectful." These perceived differences on the part of the young men brought to mind the "house slave versus field slave" mentality. And despite parental encouragement to attend HBCUs, the young men perished the thought. Furthermore, they insisted they "put in more work than the average student at an HBCU."

Unfortunately, these attitudes and beliefs are not only held by the young men I interviewed, but by countless others--both African American and White. Why is White perceived to be elite and Black beneath?

HBCUs graduate students of many races. And as Dr. Huel D. Perkins, professor emeritus of humanities at Louisiana State University, once said, "the greatest contribution of the historically Black institution is its graduates." But yet, these young men do not hold Black colleges in high esteem for various reasons.

I believe it's important to pay close attention to the attitudes of African Americans enrolled in PWIs and HBCUs. Both students and educators should recognize the importance of choosing the right college--whether HBCU or PWI. A student who chooses the "wrong" institution risks robbing himself or herself of the most valuable of academic and social experiences.

Serving as ambassadors from their respective alma maters, HBCU graduates are the best people to correct the misperceptions and stereotypes about Black colleges and inform and educate K-12 students about the HBCU experience.

Theodis E. Dancy II is a doctoral student in higher education at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.