What a difference a summer makes! In the few weeks since announcing her candidacy for president, Vice President Kamala Harris has ignited a level of hope and optimism not observed within the American electorate since Barack Obama’s run for president in 2008.
As I listened to her speech in Philadelphia introducing her running mate Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota widely known as Coach Walz, I found myself thinking about the role historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played throughout U.S. history, and still play, in producing leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the quality of American life in all spheres — including but not limited to economic, political, social, educational, and religious among others.
Dr. Charlie Nelms
For the more than five decades now, I have had a front row seat as an observer of developments at HBCUs. Not only did I graduate from an HBCU, but I have also had the privilege of serving as a faculty member, administrator, advocate, consultant, and investor in this venerable sector of the academy. The fact that HBCUs have an enviable record of positively impacting the lives of their graduates, as well as the American society broadly, has been well documented.
In May, Harris announced a $16 billion investment in HBCUs. While African Americans must continue to have access to postsecondary institutions of their choice, reconfiguring and reorienting HBCUs to identify and directly address community concerns could potentially accelerate the realization of racial parity.
Now is the time for another Great Awakening, led by HBCUs and their graduates as leaders in their communities. Despite funding shortfalls and political marginalization, the historic record of HBCUs provides a demonstrable track record of educating students across the preparatory spectrum, essentially by emulating the interests, concerns, and designs of their mainstream counterparts.
In May, the vice president also surprised countless HBCU graduates around the country with a congratulatory video, met with joy and applause. It has been shown at more than half the 101 HBCUs in the U.S., according to the White House.
