Erlene Wilson could give any guidance counselor a run for his or
her money. What she does in the revised and updated edition of The 100
Best Colleges for African American Students is provide an invaluable
resource for any student of color who is even considering pursuing
postsecondary education.
With a forward by poet and professor Nikki Giovanni, this guide is equal parts information and inspiration.
The ever eloquent Giovanni, now a professor of English at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, delivers sermonesque
revelations in her preamble, comparing African American college
students to the first pioneering Black explorers to reach the shores of
America.
“Walk together, Children … and don’t you get weary,” she advises,
urging that African American students will have to find a way to
overcome.
Which leads directly to the essence of Wilson’s guide. She has
clearly submerged herself evenly in the worlds of the Black student and
the college administrator — precisely what makes the guide a treasure.
It’s evident that Wilson understands fully the plight of Black college
students as well as what it will take for them to overcome the
obstacles and succeed in what she calls our “schizophrenic higher
education system.”
Her compilation encompasses everything a student should know to
overcome the obstacles, from scholarship and financial aid information
to a well-organized, quick reference to the 100 colleges she selected.
Preceding the quick-reference section, which is the bulk of the
361-page text, she presents suggestions that all pre-college students
of color should consider. She offers insights on the type of student
who can handle a traditionally White institution, as opposed to the
student who might best be nurtured at a historically Black school;
warns about the difficulties of being a college athlete; and offers
community colleges as a good option for African American students with
marginal grades and limited financial resources.
