Hbcu Pride: The Transformational Power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

By Shafeeq Ameen PhD

Why choose an HBCU? The answers may vary, but the overwhelming sentiments that I frequently hear is a love of culture, a feeling of acceptance and the realization that you are being educated by knowledgeable African Americans who have your best interest at heart.

HBCU Pride is my attempt to address the pressing need for the next generation of African American students to view HBCUs as viable academic options in the 21st century. With authentic testimonials from some of the most prominent HBCU alumni in the fields of entertainment and business today, I will take you on my personal journey so you can experience first hand why HBCUs are so beloved by those individuals who were blessed to attend.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984585714

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Copyright © 2020 by Shafeeq Ameen, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/07/2020

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Observation

Journey

Self-Discovery

Transformation

Conclusion

Bibliography

DEDICATION

To all the families who understand the cumulative impact of the world we are leaving to our children, don’t give up. Life is a journey that has roadblocks, but through the HBCU experience, if you are focused, have clear goals and are willing to embrace change, the outcome will lead you to a destination that is far beyond our ancestors wildest dreams.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As always, I acknowledge God who has found a way to guide my daily actions and continues to forgive me for my many mistakes. To my parents, Mushin and Frances and my siblings, Runita James and Alvin Muhammad who have provided me with the love, encouragement and the guidance needed to stay true to the content within these pages. To my daughters, Jahaan, Khadijah, Maryam and stepson Jelani Muhammad who are the loves of my life and help keep me motivated in everything I do. Finally, to my wife Kaleema who has been both supportive and understanding since the day we met.

The mother is the first teacher of the child. The message

she gives that child, that child gives to the world.

Malcolm X

INTRODUCTION

My college experience has been a long, challenging but life-affirming odyssey. Like the fictional character Odysseus, who returns ten years after the fall of Troy more mature and able to confront all of life’s challenges, so too has my odyssey defined me as one forged by the struggles that define many great Americans. This life-changing journey has both molded and shaped me into the man I am today. Being the youngest of an intact African American family, I was blessed with both structure and positive role models. As one of the few families in our neighborhood to have both a mother and father in the same household, I felt blessed. While my father worked, my mother stayed home, took my siblings and I to school, made our lunches every day and waited for us as we arrived home. Our family was balanced, healthy and we all had clearly defined roles. Both my parents came from a religious background in Pittsburgh and South Carolina respectively. Church and Sunday school were mandatory. Because of this fact, I was taught early the difference between right and wrong, a commitment to community service, and respect for my elders. But like many, I was unclear about the path I should follow for my life. I had no immediate or long-term goals to navigate this journey. To this end, college, as it has for so many, became my guide. My college experience served as the place that nurtured my soul and a place where it was safe to fail without fear of abandonment. This beacon of light helped guide a naïve and fragile young man to salvation. Once lost in a sea of uncertainty, I truly felt had a safe place to grow, learn and become the person I was meant to be.

In the fall of 1977, I walked onto my college campus for the very first time. Being raised in a northern urban city, I was amazed at the beauty of the county landscape. The huge white column buildings and opulent spacing were in direct contrast to the clutter and darkness associated with my inner-city experience. Discovering that most Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) were built largely to educate the newly freed slaves gave me a sense of pride. I was quickly exposed to many gifted and articulate students determined to make a difference in the world. The professors and administrators were dedicated to our success, and they provided a support system to catch us when we fell. My sense of manhood, academic aspiration, and religion were all shaped during my formative years at this great institution.

HBCU’s have not only provided hope and stability to countless numbers of Blacks; they have also contributed greatly to the advancement of America. Until the enactment of the emancipation proclamation, statutes made the teaching reading and writing to slaves was a crime. Freed African Americans were legally barred from higher education and, in many states, from education all together. Historical Black Colleges and Universities bravely took on the task of righting this wrong. Forged by sheer will and self-preservation, African Americans have achieved success at all levels. As a result, some of the most prominent figures in the world matriculated at Black colleges. The list is too long to include all the names, but these are a few: Dr. Martin Luther King, J., Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson (Morehouse); Reverend Jesse Jackson & Terrence J. (North Carolina A&T); Nikki Giovanni (Fisk); Thurgood Marshall, Taraji P. Henson, Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Anthony Anderson & Sean Diddy Combs (Howard); Wanda Sykes (Hampton); Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State); Erykah Badu (Grambling State); Common (Florida A&M);