Looking for Diversity: From an HBCU to a PWI

I am excited to be blogging about something that is so passionate to me, HBCUs, and not only that, but my journey from an HBCU to a PWI. For those that don’t know, HBCU stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Beginning with my freshman year of college to my senior year, I attended two HBCUs: Coahoma Community College and Mississippi Valley State University. What I learned is that HBCUs are like a family, meaning we take care of our own. My experiences at both schools were great. I have met lifelong friends, professors that still have my back to this day and I just learned so much on a lot of different levels. One thing that anyone would learn is about the African American culture and what African Americans had to venture through to have colleges to attend. Now it’s time to spit a few facts at you.

According to Booth (2006), HBCUs are found in large cities, suburbs and small rural towns. Their campus communities serve more than 350,000 students. HBCUs graduate more African American students to fill the ranks of professionals in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and teaching than all other institutions in the United States. Did you know that HBCUs were established to educate Black Americans? This was determined during the decade following the Emancipation Proclamation. And today, multi-racial staffs and diverse student populations, including white students, create the collegiate communities of HBCUs.
Okay, so now that we have had a history lesson, as well as talked about my great experiences, it is now time for a culture shock. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree from MVSU, I attended graduate school at Arkansas State University, which is a PWI. A PWI is a Predominantly White Institution. Arkansas State was a big culture shock to me. After four years in a school setting where you are used to seeing majority African Americans and a few White students and foreigners, then you are placed in a new environment where everyone around you is Caucasian and foreign, I think you see where I am coming from. It really took some getting used to, at least a full semester. In my eyes, everything was different: people, food, behaviors, way of living and the school itself. I thought about giving up and returning to my “safe place” which was an HBCU. But, I’m glad that I didn’t. Experiencing something new and so diverse was one of the best things to ever happen to me. From meeting new people from different countries and backgrounds, to trying different foods and generally just being in this new setting was awesome! I not only learned something new about other people, but I learned something new about myself, and that’s what it is all about. To this day, I keep in contact with those old classmates and friends that I met, and we are each other’s support systems. Before I attended that university, I had a handful of Caucasian friends, as well as foreign friends. But now, my address book is full.

So, to high school students, current college students, aspiring college students and anyone else, I challenge you to try the journey of attending an HBCU and a PWI. No matter your race, nationality, background or whatever you consider yourself, just do it. Also to those people who are done with school but are thinking about going back, whether you attended an HBCU or a PWI, if you go back, try the other setting. It doesn’t hurt to diversify you. And I promise that the experience will be worth your while.