I Don't Care if HBCUs Die

Let me start by saying, I don't hate HBCUs. I understand the importance that they've had in the black community. Recently there's been a lot of discussion about dozens of presidents from HBCUs around the country meeting with Donald Trump. Initially most of the feedback was negative, but then there were stories about how they were manipulated into appearing for the photo. People suddenly shifted the narrative to why we need to support and donate to HBCUs so things like this don't happen, and they can continue to make strides in coming the years. I know, I should think of this as a call to action, but in reality, I don't care.

I'm probably lacking empathy on this one, but I feel like HBCUs brought this on themselves. I'm not talking about just recently either. Sure, they had a meeting with Trump recently and agreed to march at his inaugural parade...and allowed David Duke to schedule an event on a campus. But, in reality HBCUs have spent a lot of time looking down other black people and avoiding mirrors that may display their hypocrisy.

Remember students of Spelman refused to let Nelly perform in 2004 because they felt his music was too misogynistic based on the video of his song Tip Drill? Keep in mind Nelly wasn't just going there to do a show. Nelly was using his status for fund raising and holding bone marrow drives to help people like his sister, who was afflicted with Leukemia, who later died. On the other hand despite Bill Cosby being a rapist they didn't actually distance themselves from him until 2015. A relationship they had with Cosby since 1987 that withstood dozens of rape allegations since the first woman accused Cosby of rape in 1965. All because Cosby gave them money.

You know how HBCU "advocates" always talk about the importance of black people being together? There's this unity of black people found at HBCUs that can't be found anywhere else where other black people treat each other with the utmost respect. Except, they don't actually do that. One of the most popular "advocates" of HBCUs was a man on Twitter using the handle @Anti_Intellect. You may notice, that account is suspended. That account was suspended for harassment of other black people.

I feel like nobody reaches out to support HBCUs because if you don't go to one, there's a 50% chance you will be called; Uncle Tom, house nigga, jiggaboo, or spook by someone who did. That does not endear people to the HBCU struggle. It just pisses them off until they look away forever. Remember when Dennis Smith wore a sweatshirt that said "HBCUs Matter" on it after a game? What happened? Think piece after think piece about why you can't actually support HBCUs if you don't go to one. White people on Twitter calling him a nigger for wearing it, and HBCU students calling him a house nigga that went to a PWI, but still wanted to be "down with the cause." Things like that erase a group of people in a position to support HBCUs. If you're black and went to a PWI, you're not allowed to support HBCUs now based on that logic.

What about internal support from graduates of HBCUs? We always hear from the leaders of HBCUs about how they're kept afloat by donations. But, why aren't they getting donations from their own alumni? According to US News 48.9% of Alumni from Claflin University donate to the school. That is great and it's a huge number. But, once you leave the top 10, no other HBCU is even getting more than 14% of it's alumni to donate. But, after this visit with Trump there's a lot of alumni bragging about how they've been making donations for years while chastising others that just made their first donation.

I know what you're saying, I'm just bitter and jealous I didn't go to an HBCU. You can look at my tweets, until 2015 I only tweeted positively about HBCUs. Then I started having run in with "advocates" who would question my blackness and harass me for going to a PWI. In 2016, I completely stopped mentioning HBCUs anymore because I just did not care anymore. Once you get called a race traitor 20 times for going to a PWI that was 1/3 the cost of the closest HBCU, you kind of stop caring about HBCUs.

I'm not going to criticize the people for meeting with Trump or even marching in his parade. I just do not care to be involved in the debate anymore. There are a lot of people who don't wish to be involved in the debate anymore for various reasons. Dennis Smith never wore any HBCU merch again, and I didn't hear about any HBCUs getting donations from him. I don't want people asking my opinion on the issue, because I don't really have one. I've said from the start that I just want black people to get educated and I don't care if it's an HBCU, PWI or a trade school. I refuse to continue the PWI vs HBCU debate. I'm not wishing for HBCUs to become defunct because that just hurts the students. All I'm saying is, when HBCUs wonder why they don't have support, this is why. You've made your bed and you have to sleep in it, just don't expect me or others to build you a new bed after you've continuously looked down on them.

You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts. He also plays classic arcade games on The Cabinet. You can also check out his playthrough of Sleeping Dogs or Skyrim

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