As we all know, Kamala Harris has become the first woman, as well as person of color, to be elected as Vice President of the United States of America. But not only that, as a graduate of Howard University, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated., she has blasted through the political threshold by representing the culture of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) on the national stage. For a long time, HBCUs have been kept out of the spotlight, in comparison to the prestigious PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) that are more commonly recognized. HBCUs have not been put in the proper spotlight ever since the television show, A Different World dominated television screens, by bringing the culture of historical black colleges to the forefront.
A misrepresentation of HBCUs is that their quality of education is lower compared to their counterparts, but this is untrue. In fact, 50 percent of African-American teachers are graduates of HBCUs, as well as 70 percent of African-American dentists and physicians, according to HBCU Alumni Cleveland. Currently, many talented black athletes have been choosing to attend HBCUs for college compared to PWIs. With a black woman in the White House representing one of the most well-known Black institutions, it is highly likely we will see many more in the foreseeable future. Also, HBCUs are now being represented in clothing collections from brands such as H&M, and have received an influx of funding from notable celebrities such as Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, MacKenzie Scott, Kevin Hart, and LeBron James. These donations ensure that HBCUs continue to recruit young black talent because they strive for excellence, and embrace Black culture by putting it front and center.
