Wakil Atig
Managing Editor
More recently than ever, Historically Black Colleges and Universities are trending. It’s literally cool now to wear HBCU gear or encourage students to attend an HBCU. As a current student at one of the most prominent HBCUs to date, I love it. I just hope it’s not a wave for the moment.
This past NBA season, Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Chris Paul was spotted nearly every game in a different HBCU t-shirt or some form of clothing. It became popular as a lot of athletes and celebrities began to do the same. Although most of the athletes and celebrities that posted in their HBCU or Support Black Colleges apparel didn’t actually attend an HBCU, it still brought attention to the various HBCUs out there.
The main concern that I have is rather this is genuine support and love or just a trend. HBCUs are powerful and possess a lot of relevance in history. Just imagine if some of the nation’s top athletes began to break the cycle of aspiring to commit to Ole Miss or Kentucky and choose Jackson State or Tennessee State University.
How will the shift in power affect the NCAA? If more top recruits choose HBCUs instead, that will be a big deal in multiple ways. More than anything it will generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the institutions that lack funding for programs and resources.
It will also restore the pride in the “black athlete” within their community respectfully. Kids train their entire life, make extreme sacrifices, and survive tremendous adversity to go play for a school named after a person they have no connection with. They generate an enormous amount of funds for the school for free, and if they get hurt, they’re treated like a second-class citizen.
People will argue that they’re getting a free education, but I believe that can easily be disputed when millions of dollars are involved. It’s sad that sports are the top tool that young men and women have to use in order to obtain relevance in society, but if we use our power correctly, it will help and benefit those who need it the most.
I believe what will help HBCUs going forward is more people actually taking the initiative to do more than just wear a t-shirt and that’s what NFL Hall of Famer, Deion Sander is doing. This past month Jackson State University announced the hiring of their 21st head coach for the upcoming football season. This hiring alone is a major move for the institution as it can begin to even the playing field with resources and programs for students going forward.
HBCU was for me and my heritage. However, the globalisation focus in my MBA studies kept me real with practically anyone. I am a life member of the NAACP and wouldn’t look back.