Opinion: Save Our HBCUs
posted by Suryah Ethridge | March 5, 2024 | In News, OpinionIn the latest news, a Mississippi bill (Senate Bill 2726) has proposed to close 3 HBCUS. If this bill is passed it would lead to the closure of Jackson State University, Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University and five other public institutions. HBCUs give hope to people of color and if this bill is passed, it will come into effect on July 1, 2024.
HBCUs reinforce the idea of Black joy. If SB 2726 passes, this will be a great tragedy that HBCUs across the country will feel. It could also start a domino effect. If one state closes down HBCUs, then another state could follow. They are a part of our story and every day it feels like we are fighting to be seen and heard. Now we are at risk of losing our institutions, the institutions that welcomed us without caring about the color of our skin.
The possible closure of these HBCUs is devastating to not only the Black community, but also other communities of color. This raises concerns about gaining minority education. They are the light at the end of the tunnel for people of color. These institutions give us a chance to receive a higher education. HBCUs should be the heart of the Black community, when we had nowhere else to turn to, we could always turn to an HBCU to gain higher education. We need to stand up and fight for our HBCUs, this could happen to any one of us, not just Mississippi.
The idea that we could lose 3 HBCUs in 2024 makes me so sad, it feels like we are steadily going backwards instead of forwards. It feels like every time we gain an inch, we lose a yard. It is also infuriating. Why is there an attack on Black education? First, states wanted to get rid of Critical Race Theory (CRT), then there was a motion to reverse affirmative action. There are states where students need consent to read books written by Black authors and educators, and now there is a possibility of closing three HBCUs.
Something must change; we all must partner up and fight for our education. It is a fight we should not have to fight, but lawmakers want to make it harder to have inclusive education and it shows in their policies and proposals.
You may be wondering: What can I do? Well, you can start by getting up and going out to vote; the ones in charge of our education are the people for which we are voting. We can also be diligent in learning more about this bill and using our freedom of speech and freedom of press to speak up and write about these injustices. We, as students, as Black people, and as people of color, want to be seen and heard. While this bill has not been passed, it is still a threat that a bill like this was even proposed to the Mississippi legislature.
Photo Courtesy of Kevin Coles.
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