I jokingly tell people that I attended more than six undergraduate institutions, some I left, and some I was asked to leave. Intellect — or a lack thereof — had nothing to do with my nomadic experience. In my day, many institutions had trouble retaining and graduating a diverse student population. Many still do. As a result, the student was blamed. It was their fault that they could not successfully negotiate the institution. It was not until I attended Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, a small HBCU (historically black college and university), that I found folks like me in the administration, staff and faculty. I was affirmed.
We now understand how affirming it is for a student to see an instructional leader who looks like them, speaks with a similar voice and approaches content from a familiar cultural perspective. That is what I found at an HBCU as a student, and that is what I provided later as an educator even at mainstream institutions.
I had never heard of Barber-Scotia, an HBCU in Concord, until I moved to the Carolinas and worked as an assistant professor of mass communication for about three years. When news broke last year that some of its old dorms were being demolished, I paid attention.
Barber-Scotia College has been in financial trouble for quite some time. In 2004, the school lost its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. A loss of accreditation meant students lost access to federal loans and other financial aid. The dorms hadn’t been used since and were plagued by asbestos. Last year, according to the Independent Tribune, the Concord City Council unanimously approved the demolition of the Barber-Scotia dorms at 180 and 188 Corban Avenue because of “code enforcement and safety violations.”
Barber-Scotia is part of a growing number of HBCUs that have fallen on hard times in recent years, some even closing their doors permanently.
Quaker philanthropist Richard Humphreys created the first HBCU, the Institute for Colored Youth, in 1837 to train free blacks. By 1902, more than 85 schools were established by philanthropists, free blacks, states and churches. HBCUs were the primary option for blacks interested in college until 1954, when the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education ended “separate but equal” school systems. About 105 exist in the U.S., according to The National Center for Public Policy Research. In the past four decades, 12 have closed, primarily because of “money problems resulting from declining enrollment and endowments.”
David Olah is the current president of Barber-Scotia College. He expressed his concerns about the financial toll the demolition could have on the institution — if the buildings were torn down, how would the college reimburse the city for the cost of demolition. “I’m concerned if you tear it down, you will put pressure on us to pay very soon,” Olah said. “And if we can’t pay, you will foreclose on our property.”
When Mable Parker McLean, former president emerita of Barber-Scotia College, died Jan. 27, 2012, I attended her memorial service on campus to pay my respects to an incredible leader and educator. I had not visited the campus in almost a decade. The school now, according to Olah, only has about 50 students during the year. As I roamed the building that housed what used to be the classroom and studio for my communication students, I was haunted by spectral memories of a once-thriving campus that had lost much of its historical luster.
It is ironic that we will read with voyeuristic glee about the latest outfit worn by a Kardashian but the demolition of part of a 145-year-old institution barely makes a blip in the media.
Indeed, the demolition would have gone undocumented had it not been for pictures shared by concerned alumni on Facebook. They also shared their reactions o the news. Many were speechless, moved to tears and hurt. But what felt like a bad dream also conjured wonderful memories that were shared and celebrated. One comment, from alumni Daniel Dickey, was particularly profound. Dickey shared, “This is an unfortunate end to a very memorable place and time in our lives. Would be great if these words transferred into action …”
The sad truth is that if folks don’t do a better job of supporting HBCUs like Barber-Scotia, it won’t be financial challenges, relevance in a desegregated society or even the bulldozers that threaten HBCUs. It will be simple apathy.
This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2014.
I am a proud graduate of Barber-Scotia College, the institution mentioned in this shared article. What happen to Scotia is not an isolated incident; HBCUs are struggling across the nation and for various reasons. In the last couple of weeks, another HBCU that I hold near and dear has undergone some major hardships and it made me think of how WE can restore our institutions to their prestige, as well as, prevent anymore from closing. Where do we start? the institutions? the administration? the finances? students?
I am posing questions because the route to repair will be different for each of us. As graduates who continue to benefit from our academic and social interactions at these institutions. So its fair to say we owe a debt much larger than any loan payment.
Thank you Mr. Charles Easley for writing this article!!
Nija, Class of 03′
You touched every reasonable educational cord in me on this HBCUs issue.
This many years since I graduated one, gone out into the world having benefited in more immeasurable than measurable ways from having attended, I am convinced America is a great deal of whatever good it is because of these much under-appreciated enterprises.
We know reasonably there is no way to keep them all solvent, we know they suffer from many of the same challenges of willful choice and design that any institution of higher learning does, still there is no denying at this point that America marginalizes a most important group of its citizenship when it does not make dutiful attempts to preserve as many of these venerate institutions as it can. No institutions represent a greater embodiment of the education priority without regard to the effects or resistance to them than these.
For a host of socially conflicting, discordant and antagonistic reasons America remains strapped to offer a national advocacy for these very embattled institutions as most were established in direct defiance to the country’s position on minority education. However, if but through politically and socially correct clinched teeth, America still should be on record as recognizing the unique African American scholarship, erudition, hard work, diversity and social change that these institutions have incubated almost exclusively.
Professor, as the President marks today this the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Acts, it seems fitting that we know it has been but half a century since the amended “Part B institution” of that Act that made direct federal aid available to HBCU and thus creating educational opportunities for black Americans that had not existed previously.
That is 50 years of addressing what is a near 400 year old limitation or obstruction to the most fundamental of civil/social pursuits … the right to be educated.
Yes, it means a whole lot of championing still needing to be done. And hopefully a newly invigorated role for HBCUs in that activism.
The unfortunate part about the demise of HBCU’s is that people no longer support them. Think about the CIAA here in Charlotte every year. People pay hundreds of dollars to go party, drink, and throw it up! 🙂 However, they won’t spend that same money to attend games and support the financial health of the HBCU’s in the conference. The games were empty this year which means the schools missed out on funding to provide scholarships to students and overall maintaining the University. I did not attend an HBCU; however, your article is correct..unless something changes, smaller HBCU’s like Barber-Scotia will continue to disappear. Great article!
Before I went to the Art Institute I attended Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina. Being that I didn’t stay at Shaw I often found myself being around like minded others that was of the same race, they looked like me, talked like me, and strived for the same things, even the world history classes were of different conversations that I didn’t get at the Art Institute. Sometimes I other African Americans tell me that they did not want to attend an HBCU for the fact that they were going to be surrounded by a lot of other African Americans and that truly hurt. I absolutely am for equality across the board but I would like more of young African Americans to attend HBCU’s so they can connect with like minded others.
@Nija
You are so correct that as alumni of these institutions we must all do our part if they are to not just survive but evolve.
I like your idea of using our individual talents to fight for the cause. I guess that is why I wanted to write this article to bring some awareness.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts on this subject!
@Tony-Tony Stark
As usual you not only gives us a much needed historical perspective but some very learned insight into contemporary challenges facing many HBCU’s.
I like you am a product of and HBCU and like you I have also been an employee. In my observation many of these institutions struggle with not so much the absence of financial resources but maybe the misappropriation of those resources.
Thank you as always for adding such learned commentary to the discussion!
@mqi18
You are so correct that as alumni and the larger community somehow our priorities have shifted. I love your observation of CIAA and I will dare say that we probably see a similar experience at other regional tournaments that bring HBCU alumni together.
It is great that we come together to party and celebrate but somewhere along the way we have forgotten what is at the core of that celebration. Thank you Dr. Jones for reading and sharing…smile
Great article Mr. Easley. I work for Barber-Scotia College and we definitely need as much exposure and awareness as possible. I agree with some of the comments above that we as a society need to do everything we can to save educational institutions. While I disagree with the educational philosophies of some of the above commenters, I believe we can all agree that the more educational institutions that we support and make available to our youth the better the future of the country and each individual community will be.
It is often said that “College isn’t for everyone”. I translate this statements a struggle and failure from those who respond negatively to any achievements and refuse to see and acknowledge structural impediments that ensures failure as a results we are unable to fully achieve. The majority of blacks received college degrees from for-profit institutions. As I reviewed the list, 13 private HBCU’s has closed, one as recently as June 2013. I’m ashamed to say that the less popular private HBCU, I’ve never knew exist. Maybe if we could get these institutions to partner with schools with lower property value neiborhoods focusing on increasing the standardized tests scores, to assure the quaility of black students educational experiences and sufficiently preparing them for college then the beginning of my statement would be “Demise” and not the HBCU. Knowledge is power. Information is liberating.
Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.
–Kofi Annan
@Jonathan Sisk You are correct that we need to offer options and diversity in regards to opportunities in higher education for students.
HBCU’s offer a very unique experience for potential students Thank you for reading and sharing your views!
@ Katherine Smith you are so correct that many of the HBCU’s that have closed usually do so in obscurity. I love the quote you share:
Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.
–Kofi Annan
Thank you for reading and sharing your views on this topic!
@Daisean Mills You bring up such an important observation that seems to be prevalent among many young people. That there is somehow something wrong with being around folks that come from the same culture.
An HBCU is not for everyone but we have to remember that wanting to immerse yourself in your culture should be affirming and not threatening. Thank you young artist for your views on this topic!
Just read your article “The Demise of HBCUs”. It is profound! I did not know that Barber-Scotia College was experiencing such financial challenges. This saddens me, as I know and appreciate the greatness of HBCUs. I hope the institution can recover. Thanks so much for writing about this important issue. This is why you have always been one of my favorite professors.
@Le’Passion Darby Yes Barber-Scotia College like many other HBCU’s has seen its fair share of financial challenges. They lost their accreditation but hopefully the institution can evolve and emerge in another capacity. Thank you for reading, your supportive words and for sharing your views.
Miss my school saved my life Barber Scotia forever