Better uses for colleges on the brink?

[DOOMS]

I just finished reading Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. In it, he discusses how he mandated that students at Tuskeegee learn a trade in addition to "book learning." This was in direct opposition to a number of other educated blacks during that time period, who advocated learning the classics, Greek, and Latin.

Fast forward to today. We have black males graduating at roughly a 47% rate. We also have a number of private black colleges in some serious trouble (Barber-Scotia, St. Pauls, Morris Brown, Fisk, etc.) I openly wonder whether the schools and the race would be better served by reopening as training schools for black males, kind of like Tuskeegee started out. A place where they can get away from negative influences, learn a trade, not make babies, and get a high school diploma.

Thoughts?

[@ProfBellamy]

Its not a bad idea, but would we just be duplicating the efforts of community colleges and some legitimately recognized for-profit institutions? However, I believe that not every indvidual needs a degree to succeed, in fact we focus so much on degrees and not on the skills/trades needed in society.

St. Pauls would benefit greatly by a reorganization of its programs, increased collaboration with the community college in its area to possibly create dual-enrollment programs for the bachelor's, host degree/certificate programs to improve its community, etc.

Barber-Scotia should become a boarding school in my opinion. We have alot of students, especially our black men who could benefit from an environment that takes them away from home and puts them in structured academic environment.

[Bigboy]

I have been thinking about that for a while now. Rather than these schools just closing and fading into the sunset, teaching trades is an alternative, and a good one at that. Some of the most popular trades like plumming, carpentry, brick laying and electricians are getting fewer everyday due to their work force getting older and young people not wanting to do this type of work, except for Mexicans. A lot of young brothers that I talk to and work with say they don't want to do this type of work because it is dirty and not glamorous. I tell them to call one of these people to your home to do some work and see how much they charge and you will understand why they do this type of work. I feel there are more than enough young brothers out there that if educated about these different trades, they will change their negative view of these types of jobs. Dooms this is a very interesting and I feel good idea for these struggling schools. Something has to be done about these schools and our young brothers.

[aggiebred09]

Are we talking about Historically Black Community Colleges and if so whats the difference between them and current CC's?

[DOOMS]

'09, how many of the 53% of brothers that are high school drop outs are hitting up the local community colleges? I live in (well, near) Baltimore, and I ain't seeing a large percentage of them doing that. And the ones that are still aren't really equipped to deal with people or be a productive citizen. They're full of attitude and ready to explode at the first perceived slight.

Sometimes you just need to get away and learn a new way. My thinking is that going from Detroit, Baltimore, Atlanta, etc. to Barber-Scotia gives you no choice but to learn a new way.
Check out this report and look at the stats: www.blackboysreport.org/bbreport.pdf

We've got to do something, and all I hear lately is wait for the black president to do something. It ain't his job, it's ours.

I'll tell y'all, it just hurts me to my heart to know that black males aren't even finishing high school. Maybe I'm smarter than a lot of black males, but my honest belief is that I'm no smarter. I just was brought up in a stable, two-parent environment that emphasized reading and scholarship. That's the only difference between me and half the cats in jail right now in my opinion.

I seriously have begun to think about contacting Bill Gates and guaging his interest in trying this. He's got the cash, and the schools are out there trying to stay open for what? We have enough black colleges. What we don't have is enough black boys graduating to attend them.

Bigboy, I can't find a black brick mason. I can barely find any brick mason. Same with plummers. My Jamaican immigrant in-laws are all carpenters and electricians, and they always have work. Add farming to the mix (everybody's gotta eat) and I honestly believe our boys can be helped. My in-laws clown me because I can't do anything unless I read a book on how to do it first.

I get the feeling a number of guys just quit school because they don't have the grades (because they are in the wrong environment) and resign themselves to illegal activity or physically demanding labor that renders them one back injury away from insolvency. Imagine having the opportunity to go to a school that will not only help you get that elusive diploma, but give you a marketable trade. How many of us can say we got both when we graduated high school?

[Bigboy]

This issue is a lot more important than the "GameZone"/Tailgate stuff we have been debating!! The state of young brothers is bordering on disaster. Something has to be done soon. Education and training are a very important part of the solution. Some of this training is already being offered in some high schools (Weaver Center, Guilford County Schools). I am sure there are other school districts that offer this training. Either way, this is a very important issue.

[aggiebred09]

Everyday I see the lives of these Black Male students being waisted. Its almost like they have a fear of excelling. We used to have the excuse of the system not being set up for us. Things aren't completely solved now but there are far more opportunities for students to make good use of their time than what they typically do.

I would love to see a program designed to teach a skill or trade as well as valuable life lessons to young males it is definitely needed. My only fear is it being treated like a boot camp more than an institution of higher learning.

[DOOMS]

May 19, 2011 13:33:45 GMT -5 aggiebred09 said:

Its almost like they have a fear of excelling.

Amen.

I'm really not even looking for an institution of higher learning. I'm looking for one of medium learning.

Most of us (heck, all of us) posting on here are exceptions to the rule, and that's a very sad statement.

The saddest thing is many institutions will now go out of their way to give black males opportunities. I had law schools fighting over my average achieving arse. I've jumped right up the ranks at my job because I'm friendly, do competent work, come in early, stay late, admit my mistakes, don't make excuses, and did I mention I'm friendly. Folks in the workplace expect a black male to be lazy and have an attitude problem. When you ain't and you don't, the glass ceiling breaks. I'm directly benefitting from the slackness of my peers, and that too is a sad statement.

Actually, all hbcus need to be doing something to help these kids, and something on a grand scale. We're running out of kids that are even college material, and more and more of the ones that show up are just... bad. What's the point of having a college that the very people you were set up to educate can't go to?

[Aggie One]

When my Dad was teaching industrial arts and vocational education courses through the 50's through late 80's the dropout rate for black males at William Penn and later Andrews High School in High Point was barely 10 percent while the other 90 percent graduated and those they didn't go to college where employable in some decent wage profession without a college education.

The school board dropped vocational education from the school curriculum in 1988, the year after he retired and the dropout rate tripled in just the first year.

That in itself tells me everything you need to know much like Dooms has already brought out. when kids can't feed themselves or their families then they turn to other means....mostly crime and drugs which equals prison or death.

[Deleted]

Call me the pessimist but with this idea we may have to temper our expectations of a school B-S doing this. It may and probably will help some at risk youth in NC and the Mid-Atlantic region but it's not going to do much to stop young blacks from producing babies out of wedlock.

[Aggie One]

Babies out of wedlock? That's whole home training and morality question all to itself.

[JeffAggieFan]

Great Topic! Do you suggest that these trade schools be all men?

[Bigboy]

It might not stop them from producing babies but it will give them an opportunity to financially support those babies.

[aggiebred09]

May 19, 2011 13:49:15 GMT -5 westcoastaggie said:

It may and probably will help some at risk youth in NC and the Mid-Atlantic region but it's not going to do much to stop young blacks from producing babies out of wedlock.

In my opinion, the baby thing is no longer or never really was just a black problem. Kids having kids didn't just come out of anywhere. I think white families in the past and even now are quick to abort or send their pregnant daughters to special schools for expecting mothers while our families couldn't afford it.

The biggest problem with our Youth:

1)Motivation
2)Entitlement
3)Gangs
4)Respect

They cant be what they cant see. Many educated blacks leave thier hometowns vowing never to return and it hurts the kids left behind.

[DOOMS]

}Putting on black republican mask{

When the government quits rewarding people for having babies out of wedlock, and when black women quit spoiling black men (they spoil the boys and then when the boys become men they know if they ask and whine enough, they'll get what they want), then we'll fix that issue.

}Takes off black republican mask{

Among other things, I'm currently reading From Captivity to Fame or The Life of George Washington Carver. The chapter I just read talked about how they had a meeting at Tuskeegee attended by hundreds of local folks of all races. They frankly and openly discussed the financial, educational, moral, and religious state of the locals.

It's like once we got the basics, we just stopped, and then started going backwards.

You know, most hbcus sit smack dab in the middle of a "lower-class" area. These neighborhoods should have the direct involvement of the hbcus, and all the kids coming from the area should be among the best and brightest. What hbcu doesn't have an education program? What better working environment is there but the nearby neighborhood?

As far as the usage of the troubled colleges go, I think they would need to be all men.