HBCUs: The Free Black 'University' does not promote segregation

Where does the line sit between opportunity and exclusion?

Samantha Seidu
28th November 2022
Image credit: Wikiwand

In 2020, Britain’s first and only HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) ‘Free Black University’ was founded by PhD student Melz Owusu, with aims to ‘deliver open-access online lectures exploring radical and transformational topics.' The idea behind Free Black University is that Black people could study radical approaches to decolonisation and anti-racism, thus prompting its students to challenge institutional structures that still continue to uphold racism today.

Of course, the idea of a HBCU was met with a lot of criticism, with some arguing that it promotes racism and segregation, all of which are (for the most part) denounced in the modern day. In late October, the universities watchdog also announced that Free Black University has not been given permission to officially be a university as it ‘hadn’t proved that it met the requirements for registration’. All this brings the question of what HBCUs are for, whether they are necessary or whether they do more harm than good. To answer this, I will break down what a HBCU is.

HBCUs are educational institutions designed for Black people, with its origins being in the South of the US prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Jim Crow segregation laws meant that Black students were not allowed study at universities with white people (that being most of them),or were only allowed in small numbers which would expose them to discrimination and unfair treatment. With all this being said, the purpose of HBCUs was provide Black students with opportunities in education, free from racial discrimination that put a cap on their abilities.

Whilst as it stands, blatant racism and segregation of this sort have since been outlawed and are mostly frowned upon, it would be naive to think that they have totally been eradicated, even in Britain. Britain also has a long history of racism, segregation and other atrocities that arose as a result of colonial rule. Today, various studies have shown that racism in British educational institutions is still a huge problem that is yet to be dealt with. Although at GCSE, those of West African descent do better than the national average, Black students are the least likely to get three As or more at A-level. Regardless of their heritage, Black students are the most likely to get the lowest percentage accuracy when it comes to predicted grades, which affects the range of universities they can apply to. When they get to university, it has been found that Black students are least likely to get a 2:1 or a 1st class and are the most likely to drop out of tertiary education altogether.

Ultimately, it puts Black students on a level playing field which allows them to prosper instead of having to balance academics with fighting institutionalised racism

All of this is indicative of the failure of the British education system as a result of systemic and institutionalised racism that continues to run rampant even if we might not think that is the case. Bearing all of this in mind, a HBCU would allow Black students to receive the same standard of education, without the prejudice that can affect how they navigate through their academic careers. HBCUs in the US proved to be effective, as they helped to establish an African American middle-class, with public figures such as Oprah, Chadwick Boseman and Kamala Harris all attending. Ultimately, it puts Black students on a level playing field which allows them to prosper instead of having to balance academics with fighting institutionalised racism.

With the statistics showing that Black students are still disadvantaged in the education institution, what is wrong with Black people creating a space where they can thrive academically?

So this brings about another question; is creating a university only for Black people racist? In my opinion, the short answer is no. The intent of a Black student-only university is very different to that of a White students-only university. Looking back at the deep South in the US, HBCUs were created as a direct consequence of segregation by White people who kept Black people out because they were seen as inferior. Fast forward to today, with the statistics showing that Black students are still disadvantaged in the education institution, what is wrong with Black people creating a space where they can thrive academically, instead of putting themselves into a space where they are set up to fail from the start? The only reason why HBCUs are seen as racist is simply that it is a space that is not designed for White people, and in a White majority country that might be a tough pill to swallow.

At the end of the day, HBCUs only exist because racism exists, the proof is in the history books and in modern-day statistics. Whilst many universities are trying to diversify their curricula, if the root issue of institutionalised racism is not addressed, the statistics will stay the same regardless of how many Black students are in a university. An important first step to dismantling this would be coming to terms with and taking accountability for colonialism which planted the seed of racism, and the acknowledgement of the role colonialism played in building the institutions we know today. Until the day comes, I personally will always be supportive of HBCUs, including Free Black University, and what they stand for.

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