by Kristal Stafford

Created on: November 02, 2008

Speaking as the alumni at of a Historical Black University, it is the best college experience for African American students. I recall my junior year in high school, in which I bounced around the idea of attending a more culturally diverse college. After nine years at a private school, with a predominately African-American population, and four years at a predominately African-American highschool, I felt I needed an introduction into a environment that would help me grow and succeed.

I sent applications near and far to a variety of institutions. Universities that did not have a foundation that was deeply rooted in anything that was culturally biased. After feeling successful in that venture, I then I had the difficult task of determining how I would pay for college. Of course, loans were always an option, but I intended to finish out my senior year in the top ranks of my class. The question was whether or not my finish would land me enough scholarship funding to finish out my four years.

After much aggravation, a solution appeared tailored specifically for my needs. I did receive scholarships, full scholarships because I was African-American. I was An African-American student, attending a highschool with a prodominately African-American student population. All I had needed was the GPA. My highschool was considered "adopted," along with a list of others in the country.

I began attending Florida A&M University in the Fall of 1997. Even after so many years, I can still recall all of the characters in the book of my college life. The various shades of brown didn't stand out. It was the shades of differences amongst us. There were so many young African-Americans who were pining for something better. Their creative minds expanding, ideas flourishing. The stereotypes that I had been trying to drive down for so long, were mostly at peace. I sat next to the some of the brightest African-American young adults in the country. Youth who had come from rich and poor backgrounds; local families and international families. There were even those that were attending because they felt they had lost out on the African-American experience by attending predominantly Caucasian schools.

There is a myth surrounding HBCUs (Historical Black Colleges and Universities). There are myths that education is substandard compared to ivy league schools. They are known for their bands and half-time shows. Their athletic teams are usually part of a different division and don't get as much air time on regular networks as non-HBCUs.

These are only myths. HBCUs offer so much more to the college experience. There is deep-rooted tradition that makes everyone feel connected, like family. There is that central "blackness" that lends comfort and stabilitly. For example, it was not uncommon to see a faculty member crossing campus chastise a student for the way he wore his hair or his pants. African-American students participating in on campus activities are strengthened. They don't exclude, they include. They focus on reflecting positive African-American references, and deflecting negative stereotypes.

Attending a black college in no way left me feeling cheated in my college experience, nor did it leave me feeling slighted in my education. A book is a book. It can be read in any university in any country. What you go into college looking to achieve, and what you come out with in the end should be different, because you've learned and grown. The people you meet, the places you see, all shape the experience and teach you more than just text. For an African_American student, a black college experience can show them who they are, how to accept who they are, and how to break African-American stereotypes.

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