Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees. How many times have we heard that adage? The world was introduced to the mythical country Wakanda in the original “Black Panther” movie, starring award winning actor and Howard University alum, Chadwick Boseman.
Hidden deep in the forest, this isolated Third World country was only known by its people; and behold, this isolated African nation is a technologically advanced wonder. Technology so superior, the people of Wakanda believed they needed to protect it from the rest of the world.
And now with the release of the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” movie the people of Wakanda have decided to share their advanced technology with people outside of their country. They are on the precipice of telling the world who they, why they matter, and why everyone else should pay attention to them.
That is precisely the moment historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) find themselves in today.
Lodriguez Murray
There were the murders of George Floyd and Breona Taylor in 2020, the racial and social unrest that followed, and tragedies that befell so many others—but we still are inspired by their memories. People began looking beyond the trees and started viewing HBCUs in a different manner.
However, that’s not new to those of us who are HBCU alums and advocates for these exceptional institutions.
