Are School Shootings Killing HBCUs?

College homecomings and encouraging studies about African Americans graduating from high school being more likely to attend college than other races, was over shadowed by more school shootings and other violence on or near Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  According to a Nielsen study on the changing profile of Black consumers, 70.9 percent of black high school grads enroll in college.

But, in recent weeks alone there have been shootings at Tennessee State University, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central University, Texas Southern University and Delaware State University.

And whether the shootings were perpetrated by HBCU students or  not and whether they took place at off campus events or non-sanctioned school activities, the bottom line is the schools’ names are in the headlines  and the violence is damaging the reputation of these institutions.

Once again we hear the comparison of school violence on mainstream campuses, but mainstream campuses will not suffer the way HBCUs have or will if this trend doesn’t stop.

Most HBCUs are suffering from poor enrollment and poor enrollment equals loss of accreditation, loss of accreditation means lack of government loans.  The majority of HBCU students is dependent on government loans and so, if they dry up the schools will have to shut their doors.

As school presidents become virtual fundraisers and do everything they can to convince benefactors and alumni to contribute money and invite high school graduates to consider choosing an HBCU many are facing an uphill battle, even without the shootings.

The struggle was already real.

Not only are HBCUs competing with mainstream colleges and universities they’re competing with online universities, community colleges, technical schools and the military.  The President and several candidates propose ways to make community college and even some four-year colleges free to attend.   What will this do to my beloved HBCUs?

And now this rash of bad publicity could be the final nail in the coffin.

But it doesn’t have to be. Sadly, I’m certain that more HBCUs will shut down in the coming years, but not all and the survivors will have to become stronger than ever.

We can see to that by:

• Making candidates aware of how important HBCUs are to us as voters.
• Being committed to sending our children to HBCUs that are meeting the standards we require for our children.
• Giving back to HBCUs with our money, our time and our talent. Let’s not give our best to everyone else!

My children, both HBCU grads are parents now and the plan is for them all five of the babies to attend HBCUs.  We will have the same concern as any mom or dad or grandparents with students currently enrolled at HBCUs.

But at the end of the day we won’t be able to ensure their safety on campus, at off campus housing or a homecoming parade any more than we could ensure it in a movie theater, a pre-school or a church. That’s the way of the world.

Guns are too easy to get in this country, and with the easy purchase of firearms come the shootings of innocent people.

The institutions will have to find ways to become more competitive. That’s a given.  But those of us who have a vested interest in HBCUs succeeding can do our parts too.