HBCUs in the Age Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a seminal moment in the modern history of the United States. The sheer scope of the pandemic and it's indirect effects are forcing just about every institution we have to re-evaluate how they do business. This is especially true for the 100-plus historically black colleges and universities that are currently part of the higher education landscape in this country. HBCUs fill an educational and cultural niche in the black community that's hard to replicate in other higher ed environments. If you've been to a campus, been around HBCU alumni, or experienced any social aspect of the black college experience, you'll get a general idea why they're so important.

HBCU institutions are spaces and places where black people can pursue the fruit of higher education on their own cultural terms. They've carried that banner for us since the end of the Civil War, creating a rich, vibrant history of service, legacy, and a celebration of our culture in the process. Today's HBCU holds the same kind of appeal for a newer generation of african-americans, albeit under some duress. COVID-19's emergence here in the United States pretty much had the same effect that it has in other places across the globe; It's killed people, and has brought the convenient, amenity-filled lives we've kinda taken for granted, to a screeching halt. With universities canceling entire academic semesters and sending students home indefinitely, it's uncovered a real divide in terms of whose prepared to deliver their educational services in other ways. For many HBCU's, the pandemic has brought those deficiencies to the forefront in ways that are a very real concern for our continued survival. Investing in the technology and infrastructure necessary to run viable and diverse virtual and distance learning degree programs would go a long way in addressing one of those deficiencies.

Some state land grant institutions like North Carolina A&T State University, Tennessee State University, and Norfolk State University, have really robust infrastructures for distance and online learning. Unfortunately, other public and many private HBCU institutions are still behind the curve when it comes to providing those kinds of diverse options to both potential students, or adults that are looking to expand or continue their education. While I'm confident that this is really attainable across the board collectively for all HBCUs, the disparity is also indicative of a larger monetary issue for our schools in general. Funding and good financial stewardship have been a bane for a number of both private and public HBCU institutions over the years, with some schools being pushed to the brink of closing outright. COVID-19's impact on day-to-day life here may force some HBCUs to re-evaluate how they do business in that regard.

Investing in technologies that will make student access to that education easier to obtain, even in the most unforeseen circumstances. Will HBCU's recover from the social limbo that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the entire country to be suspended in? Absolutely. That being said, it's another wake-up call for the leadership at the head of our institutions to be innovative in the face of an ever-changing world, if we want to continue to secure our unique niche in the higher education landscape of america.

The HBCU experience will survive the Coronavirus, but they'll need to embrace some harsh truths in order to preserve their legacy of serving the people that need them the most, the black community.