This has probably been overstated, but the times in which we live feel like a critical juncture in American history. The rise of previously silenced or ignored voices that assert themselves daily through democratizing channels like social media or personal blogs significantly contribute to greater representation of and respect for Black issues across society, particularly in education. The advancement of educational aspirations for Black Americans has been facilitated by key individuals and organizations for decades, two of which celebrate milestone anniversaries this year.
UNCF was founded 75 years ago as a joint effort among private HBCU presidents to more effectively fundraise for their institutions. What began as a call to action by Frederick D. Patterson — Tuskegee University president at the time — in 1944 has evolved into the largest private scholarship provider to minority students in the country, having raised almost $5 billion dollars since its inception. Thirty five years ago, Diverse was launched as Black Issues In Higher Education, providing a forum for news and awareness about HBCUs and the postsecondary issues relevant to Blacks in higher education in the 1980s. Having evolved to promote issues impacting a broader but still marginalized swath of the population, Diverse continues to provide insight into critical issues that are ignored by mainstream media and offers a platform for scholars and leaders who challenge the status quo and raise concerns articulated nowhere else.
Due to the presence and efforts of these two noteworthy organizations, the education challenges facing African Americans and other minoritized groups are discussed differently than they were 75 or even 35 years ago. HBCUs are discussed in popular culture and the education discourse in a manner heretofore never seen. The influence of HBCUs on Beyonce’s Coachella performance and the fervor over her Homecoming documentary release is testament to this. Federal education policy is more focused on efforts to improve the outcomes of African American and Latino students than in years past. We understand that these gains are not solely the result of UNCF’s and Diverse’s efforts; several individuals and organizations have been substantial contributors to the chorus of voices that have helped to diversify our dialogue and push our own narrative. Despite this progress, significant work remains.
As long as thousands of African American children continue to attend under-resourced schools, relegating the majority of them to unfulfilled careers and lives and doing nothing to close the wealth gap, then our work remains unfinished.
As long as gaps in student outcomes based on race exist at every level of education in America, then our work remains unfinished.
As long as there are those who are uninformed about the realities of secondary and postsecondary education in America, such as non-White school districts receiving more than $23 billion less in funding than predominantly White districts, then our work remains unfinished.
As long as HBCUs are not recognized for doing a better job than non-HBCUs of enrolling and graduating students who are disproportionately from low-income, academically underprepared backgrounds — many of whom require additional support and resources to succeed in college — then our work remains unfinished.
