ok yall...i got a question...im a junior in high school and a very good friend of mine (he's a boy) is a senior...recently we were talking about his college choices and i was suggesting some HBCUs...he was going to apply to Howard and Morehouse and a couple of others...like two weeks later he tells me he has decided not to apply to any HBCUs because someone told him he isnt "black enough"...*grrrr i knoe*...i got very angry with him and told him he was giving in to brainwashed and ignorant ppl but he still hasn't changed his mind...my question is what do you think about this situation affecting some of our black men and do you think i was right for getting in his face about it?
the.pretty.prodigy.
That advice was obviously coming from small-minded people.
Anyone who believes that speaking well, showing some breadth of intelligence, and carrying yourself professionally are things foreign to Black people are the modern Uncle Toms.
In fact, I believe that this is all the reason why your friend should be exposed to the HBCU atmosphere, to realize that not all Blacks act and feel this way. At most Black colleges, he would feel right at home, and be around a lot of people who went through the same kind of identity conflict.
His biggest concern is probably that he wouldn't fit in. I had the same concern before going to college. The beauty of HBCU's is that there is diversity in background and personality, so chances are he would find people with similar culture and interests. Holla!
I have been told I'm not black enough on a pretty much day to day basis. I mean it's hard but, that's life I guess. Honestly, I don't know if that is a part of what is stopping me from going to an hbcu but I mean don't get up in his face about it. If he is that easily discouraged than maybe it isn't for him.
