Roundup Radio: Black Leadership, Integration, and HBCUs




Roundup Radio-
Lavell Flamon, Educator Maurice Dolberry, and Grammy Award winning rapper David Banner discuss Black Leadership, the impact of Integration, and touch on the topic of HBCUs.
Moderated by: Be Moore of AlumniRoundup.com: @bemor

Part 1



Part 2: **NOTE** This segment is candid and uncensored post broadcast commentary.**



Brief Guest Bios:
Lawrence Javier AKA Lavell Flamon plays the bass in a Denver based soul band. He holds a degree in Architecture from Howard University with which he graduated Valedictorian.

Maurice “Mo the Educator” Dolberry is a post Masters Doctoral student in Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, in Seattle. He is also a regular contributor to AlumniRoundup.com. He can be found on twitter at @MDEduc8r

David Banner is a Grammy award winning rapper and producer from the great state of Mississippi. He is releasing his latest album with producer 9th Wonder, Death of a Pop Star, December 21, 2010. Find him on twitter at @therealbanner


0 responses to “Roundup Radio: Black Leadership, Integration, and HBCUs”

  1. Most definitely, I graduated from Tennessee State University in 1970. My duaghter and my niece graduated from TSU in 2000.

  2. I was the first female in my family to graduated from college. I finished from Southern University in 1991 and since then I’ve had several family members to follow in my footsteps and are now proud SU Alumni members as well. It is my hope & dream that my sons will follow in my footsteps and attend a HBCU as well, even if it isn’t Southern University. There is so much that you can learn and attain at a HBCU that as an African American you’ll never achieve anywhere else. Coming from an all white high school, Southern helped me to discover who I really was as an African American woman and for that I am eternally grateful.

  3. Without question!! My experience at Howard University was one of the best times of my life. My son, who was born during my senior year at Howard, is now a freshman at HU!! He is loving it, his grades are looking great, and he was able to Walk onto Howard’s basketball team and he is actually getting great playing time!

    I know he will leave that institution with a greater understanding of self, he will have formed relationships and make memories that will truly last him a lifetime, and he will be fully prepared to competently enter the workforce or any graduate program.

    Where else can they get the excellent social experience, a degree from a highly regarded institution, and the best recruitment opportunities with Fortune 500 companies?

  4. Yes, I would. I attended two large historically white universities, Purdue and Temple and two HBCUs, Fayetteville State and finally NC A&T, while pursuing my Bachelors in Computer Science. I met very intelligent, driven students and professors at every stop. The main differences were the facilities; computer labs, dorms, etc. and the staff at the HBCUs seemed to have a more vested interest in helping their students succeed.

    But, like historically white universities, all HBCUs are not created equal.

  5. I am a FAMU alum that in graduate school matriculated to a large state school, and then an ivy. I appreciate the grounding my experience at FAMU gave me.

    I want my son (now 2) to have the best education, and be exposed to the highest level of intellectual competition on a world class level. In 15 years, I hope that some of our HBCUs can get the level of a Stanford or a Berkeley in terms of intellectual rigor.

    If my son chooses an HBCU, I would examine that, and take a look at the administrative/bureaucratic systems, which were a huge headache for me and my peers at other HCBUs.

  6. OF COURSE!!! I’m a 2004 graduate of Tennessee State University and my mother graduated from Alabama A&M University. A HBCU is just like any other university, you get out of it what you put in. I hope my daughter decides to continue her education at a HBCU but I will leave it up to her. I think I received an AWESOME eduaction and learned life lessons while attending college. And contrary to popular believe, I do have a career and not just a job. I work right beside people who graduated from Duke, Alabama, UT and other Divison 1 schools and can perform at their level if not higher.

  7. Yes, I would and I did.

    I am a proud 1978 graduate of Tuskegee University. I also graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1981 , and I am a licensed attorney. My oldest son is a graduate of Alabama A & M and is currently working on a graduate degree in psychology at A & M. My youngest son is a graduate of Alabama A & M and is currently in his first year of law school at North Carolina Central University. By the way, my husband is also an HBCU graduate. He graduated from Morehouse in 1978, from Howard University School of Law in 1981, and is a licensed attorney as well.

    Although I had the grades and test scores to compete at practically any college that I wanted to attend, I would not trade my experiences at the HBCU’s I attended for anything. They nurtured me and gave me the confidence to exceed in any working environment. Socially, culturally and economically, matriculating at an HBCU should be viewed as a viable option to African American high school students.

  8. OF COURSE!!! I am a pround graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I am a giving alumnus ( I give what I can, I graduated in 2007) My parents both attend HBCU’s. It was not a choice in my household to attend anything other than an HBCU. I am so proud of my degree and N.C A&T. I know the only way to make it better is to give and always support. I already have an application for my daughter to attend N.C A&T, and if she does not go here, I plan for her to attend a HBCU, believe me if my money has to pay for college it will be paid at a HBCU!!!

    AGGIE Born
    AGGIE Bred
    and when I die I will be AGGIE DEAD!

    AGGIE PRIDE
    c/o 2007

  9. The question should not be “Would you send your child to an HBCU” It should be “Would you send your child to a university with high standards such as one of the 100 plus HBCU’s. I am a proud graduate of North Carolina A&T Statue University (BS Architectural Engineering) and Morgan State University (Master of Architecture and Doctorate of Engineering – Civil). My daughter, Darjene’, is a 2009 graduate of North Carolina A&T State, my other daughter will graduate from Hampton University in 2012. My son is 8yrs old and had attended 8 NCA&TSU homecomings. My daughters have attended 21 NCA&TSU homecomings. My wife, Andrea, graduated from Tennessee State University as did her five siblings. My wife’s brother-in-law, Darren, graduated from TSU as did his 6 siblings. My sister, Dr. Ritchie Carroll, graduated from Winston-Salem State University as did her son, Brian. My nephew is currently at NCA&TSU. Between NCA&TSU and TSU and Morgan State and Hampton Univ and WSSU my family makes it a requirement to attend a HBCU. So what’s the issue???? Isn’t it obvious! We as a race make it a family tradition to attend a HBCU from birth. If we don’t, then they want!! Keep hope alive. Run Jessie Run! Yes we can! From the outhouse to the whitehouse!!

  10. Yes, but I wouldn’t send my kid to a school just because it is a HBCU, but neither would I rule it out because it is a HBCU. A lot of factors will come into play, but in the end I will make the best possible decision for my children to succeed, and the designation of the school is irrelevant to that.

  11. Sure. I would send my children to an HBCU. I remember looking forward to being in a place where being young, gifted and Black wasn’t “unusual”. I remember the privilege of having Dr. Gardner as my physics professor and Afro-Caribbean Literature was offered as an elective. The vendors used to sell sugarcane stalks and coconuts on campus. Stone Love was at every Homecoming and the Ooo La La Girls were at every football game. I think a lot of the problems people have at HBCUs are financial – myself included. Matriculate rates across the board are incredibly low. The healthy flow of money allows for institutions of higher learning, businesses, communities, and families to survive. Without it, like Chinua Achebe says, things fall apart. So not only should our alumni forgive the past and start giving back, our administrations need to chill with the misappropriation of the funds they manage, and our families need to make sure our young minds can study in peace without having to head up to the “A” building every five minutes worrying about whether or not they’re “validated”.

  12. I received my B.A. from Howard University in 1997. That’s where I met my husband who was also a student there. I had the BEST education and experience while at HU. After graduating, I went to law school at a prestigious top 50 (Orthodox Jewish) institution. My experiences were drastically different. While in law school, I was accused of having gotten into the school due to Affirmative Action by students who knew nothing about my grades or LSAT scores. My Asian roommate was also accused of such non-sense (which was weird because Asians were/are stereotypically thought of as the “smart race”). I am now a licensed attorney who heads up my own practice after having left a law firm in Chicago, IL. Needless to say, I totally support HBCUs. I remember law school recruiters from the top tier law schools coming to D.C. and talking to me about my chances of getting accepted into their schools. They said (and I’ll never forget) that since I was coming from an extremely reputable institution, my chances were extremely high because graduate schools examine the quality of school along with the students’ grades, scores, etc. I encourage my daughters to determine which school fits their goals and personality. But I HIGHLY recommend HBCUs with great reputations. I also believe in diversity of education, therefore, if my daughters attend an HBCU for undergrad (recommended), I would encourage them to attend a non-HBCU for graduate school to get a different perspective, type of experience, types of friends, etc.

  13. Absolutely!!! I graduated from Howard University in 1987 and I wouldn’t trade that experience for all the tea in China! My daughter, Briana , will be graduating from North Carolina A& T next week with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. She always quotes that Aggie Motto. My youngest daughter, Sakile is a freshman, musical theatre major at Howard and loves it. She wanted to attend Univ. Of Maryland College Park, but realizes HU was the right decision. Sure HBCU’s have there issues. What school/university doesn’t. Let me know when you find Utopia!!! My husband and I decided early on that our children can choose which college they will attend, out of the 105 HBCU’s scholarship or no scholarship. Some money just isn’t worth having!! HBCU all the way!!!!

  14. Duh–hell yea. If it’s good enough for daddy, it’s good enough for them. They will have the black college experience even before knowing that is what they are experiencing. I support my university, ECSU. ECSU continues to be highly ranked by US News & World Report and shines even more brightly than it did when I attended in the late 80s and early 90s. The primary difference between having HBCUs [whether state affiliated or not] exist-and not merely subsist-is the strength and leadership of its alums. It is the alums coupled with community and political support that must demand that their school receives the resources that are necessary to breed and bolster the next era of black, caring, proactive professionals and thought leaders.

  15. Academically I was ok with the idea. But she would have gone into culture shock. We live in an area with very few blacks and I know dropping her into a majority black college suddenly would have freaked her out.

    But my whole family went to Howard, all four siblings and my parents, as well as my step father, brother-in-law and husband. Love Howard!!!!

  16. I would quesition a Euro University before I quesitioned a HBCU. To many times our kids denounce a HBCU for a Euro University and get lost in the Euro University Shuffle. BLACK PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN UNIVERSITIES.

    Southern University at New Orleans: In Here 93″

  17. ABSOLUTELY!! All of my life I was in an environment where alot of the time, I was the only Black student. Little did I know, I was missing such an intregal part of myself. Of course I was culture shocked when I got to Howard, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me! I know exactly who I am, what I’m worth and the shoulders of whom I stand..and I’m standing proudly. Before I graduated from highchool, my mom booked a random flight and took me to Howard’s campus..and the rest is history. Both of my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are graduates of Tennessee State University between and the 1960’s and 1990’s. My younger sister is a 2010 graduate of Hampton University and I am a proud 2005 HOWARD UNIVERSITY ALUM.
    The REAL HU!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. I want to say YES, but can’t respond without considering the quality of the HBCU.

    Making the decision only because of “blackness” is becoming useless. As an A&T engineering undergraduate student and now PhD candidate I’ve seen my alma mater increase the number of people of other cultures teach us. In that, we lose the intent of the HBCU experience academically, if not socially. Many insturctors don’t know how to teach us because they don’t know where we’ve come from – and don’t care.

    The quality of the students must also be considered. At A&T we encourage the students to learn in and outside of class – to apply the use of information in real life. I want my child to be with others that understand that.

    For me to say YES to HBCU’s, I want to see more native born black instructors teaching, and I want to know that her class has a quality pool of students. Not YES because I’m black, but YES because HBCU Pride is practiced in what we do. If not, then it’s just an HBCU campus with declining HBCU culture.

  19. I and my sister are graduates of Howard University, and my baby sister also attended. I bought a house around the corner from Slowe and went to every homecoming for years. I loved it!! Nonetheless, I will have to wait and see what is best for any child of mine to determine whether they go to a HBCU or a majority school. But, I know that I will personally get a lot more satisfaction writing a check to an HBCU (preferably HU!!!) than any majority institution.

  20. I am doubtful about sending a child of mine to Southern University. Even though I graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge (1984), it is not the same University I graduated from long ago.

    I am constantly reminded of that when I hear about the scandals there, about how the educational system is rated there, what student life is like there, etc. When I attended Southern University, the Nursing Program, Law School, Engineering Program and Computer Science Program were all rated number 1 in the State of Louisiana. Not sure if it’s rated that way now. All I ever hear about is who is stealing money, who is in the latest scandals, etc. Not the environment I would want for my children.

  21. Absolutely! I graduated from Howard in 1978. My Daughter graduated in 2009 and now attends graduate school at Howard. My son is a Freshman at Howard. My brother graduated from Howard with a computer science degree in 1984 and met his wife who also graduated from Howard’s Medical School and is now a physician. Needless to say, we love Howard..and that love extends to all HBCU’s. For example, my husband attended Delaware State and when we first met that is all we talked about. It was our first bond.

    What is more important however, is what African Americans miss by not attending an HBCU. Simply put, we miss capturing a true sense of self. We see it everyday, brothers and sisters who attended mainstream institutions with great grades but no sense of self. I had the opportunity to work with several African American sisters who graduated from white institutions and they all said longingly that they wish they had attended an HBCU. The bond that we have amongst each other is second to none. Today, I mostly attend southern games since I live in Atlanta, but even still I get nods of approval and gestures of inclusion everywhere I go…Sometimes, out of the blue, I will get a Hey, I’m a Bison too:) Can’t beat it:)

  22. If they want to go, yeah. Sure. Why not? But I’m generally against the concept of “sending” your kid to any school, with all the coercion that implies.

    I got a lot of parental pressure regarding my college pick, to the point that it caused strained family relations for some time afterward. This became somewhat famous as it turned into an anecdote in the story naming FAM College of the Year in ’98. Jist was that, even though I defied my parents, I still got to meet President Clinton as a student, got a job at the Washington Post, and lived happily ever after. That take on events was fine, I guess, but it sidestepped a key point: The angst and fussing wasn’t worth the familial toll.

    Raise your kids to love learning from an early age. As they get older, guess what, smart kids do smart things. They won’t mess it up. Trust and let go.

  23. When my parents suggested I attend a HBCU rather than a Pac10 or Big 12 school, I was a bit heated but after 6 months on campus and further discussions with my family it was an amazing experience. When I came out with my undergraduate from Tennessee State University, you could not have told me nothing. I was fearless and I heavily encourage the students I work with today to go to HBCUS. The expereince has so many levels of educational and personal growth. It is a priceless time of their lives. The opportunity of being around other people like themselves and seeing that what others think and say is fradulent. The acknowledgement of what your responsibility is to the community as a whole and what is necessary for success. I could have gotten that at Stanford or OU also but at TSU my true warrior skills came out and I am so glad my parents sent me. To be short, “YES” I would.

  24. I chose not to mention HBCU’s to my children when they were making their selections. One being it was their choice and I did not want to be an influence and two, the HBCU schools have seem to digress instead of progressed. My husband and I both graduated from Southern University and have recently gone back to visit. Things are still the same. The campus does’nt look clean or well maintained which is not a good appearence for someone who has never visited the school, and the environment seems to be all about partying and loud music. Oddly enough, SU sent my daughter a letter of acceptence 2 months after school started. Can we get something out on time? My childrens ages are 21 and 19 and they have chosen schools that best represent who they are as individuals. I did not push HBCU’s but encouraged them to not just look at the culture and make-up of the school, but evaluate the area in which they plan to study and see if they would get the best experience money had to offer. Finally, I encouraged them to look at the graduation rate, and job placements after graduation. I can say with confidence that my children have made great choices for the educational careers and they both received Scholarships. It all boils down to what your children want for themselves. These are some of the first decisions that our children will make for themselves once they leave High School. It’s not about what we experienced, it’s about what they will achieve to go furhter in a world like today.

  25. Yes, if that is what my child wanted. My daughter is attending Howard U and it was her choice…. but I am of course very proud since this is my alma mater. Being a good student, she had many choices of colleges including large majority schools. It was her choice and it was a great choice for her. Nothing can replace the “spirit” and nurturing of an HBCU. Also the knowledge gained from navigating the systems i.e. administration building, financial aid, registration has taught her invaluable life-skills that are hard to duplicate any where else.
    I agree…. it should be your childs choice, and as a parent, you know your child and what setting is best for them.

  26. I graduated from Elizabeth City State University in 1966. My daughter elected to go to Central Michigan University and we agreed. We discussed HBCUs . Five years later she came out with no clear direction except she had decided that she wanted to be a librarian after working in the college library as an undergrad student. We looked at several places with her and we agreed that North Carolina Central had an excellent program. She worked hard and earned her Masters in the agreed upon framework. Today she works for the Urban Library Council (Chicago, IL) and is successful. I recommend HBCU’s strongly and feel that they are very much needed today. Thank you North Carolina Central!

  27. Definitely, it was one of the best decisions that I ever made and I consider the experience invaluable. I come from a long line of HBCU graduates and I want the legacy to continue with my children and grandchildren, etc.

  28. I graduated from Southern University A&M and I am a third generation Jaguar. SU wasn’t in my top 25 schools of choice but the cards worked out that I ended up there after attending two white universities. I want my children to go to the schools that best represent what their future goals and aspirations are. No I will not push them to HBCU’s but my parents didn’t push me to go that route either…

    I’m not even sure that when my kids get to be of college age that most of them won’t be around or diminished to community colleges due to the non support they are getting from government of different states…

  29. In one word, ‘Absolutely’. I am a graduate of FAMU and I’ve had opportunities with Fortune 500 companies starting with internships and culminating with the career I have now w/ the largest IT company in the world. As HBCU grads you have the opportunity to compete with the best and brightest from Big State schools, Ivy League schools, etc. I will definitely encourage my kids but not force them into looking at HBCU’s when they start looking at colleges. Both my parents attended HBCU’s and are successful in their own right as did my sister and myself, so there is a strong familial history with HBCU’s. My wife graduated from Seton Hall and she’s always telling me that she wished she had the opportunity to participate in the ‘Black College Experience’. It’s definitely a unique and rewarding experience that you would not get anywhere else! Go Rattlers!

  30. Yes! I have two girls…there is no question. I graduated from Elizabeth City State University in 1994. The experience that I received was so valuable from my HCBU. I want that for my girls. I look forward to that day.

  31. ABSOLUTELY, YES! I’m a graduate of Tennessee State University and no traditional university could have prepared me more than my HBCU. Part of what distinguishes an HBCU from a traditional university is the untaught skills. Skills such as: drive, developing initiative, fostering creative thinking, and developing your cultural dignity and integrity. A high school student doesn’t have the knowledge of the “untaught factors” that makes a university a university. They don’t even have the knowledge or history of our own HBCUs to make a decision. All they know about a university is what they see on TV, sports. So, letting your child make a lone decision about what university he/she should attend is like letting your child step off a cliff. HBCU professors are highly talented educators that have worked in the corporate environment and now they feel a need to give back. They impart their wisdom by telling you how to navigate through life, career, and personal growth. How do they know so much, because they are us. So the next step of my childs life should be in the secure hands of an HBCU professor/parent that believes in the total development of my child.

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