My HBCU experience (Dillard U!) shaped me in ways I can’t even begin to tell you (well, maybe one day I’ll write more on that)….but I was just back on campus this weekend and I was blown away at the advances they’ve made at this small university down in New Orleans, LA. As I toured the new Professional Science Building and learned about the new technology being used, I made a mental note to bring my husband down for a tour. He didn’t attend an HBCU, and our thoughts on our daughter attending are like many of our opinions (at different ends of the spectrum). But since Kayla is 8, we have many more discussions on deck…as well as taking into consideration who our daughter is at 18, what she wants to pursue, her grades, emotional state, etc.

But as I was reading “Becoming,” Ms. Michelle Obama’s wonderful memoir this week, she mentioned in one part that the kids who had educated parents or parents in higher income brackets than her working class folks were talking about attending HBCUs. I’ve heard this before although I didn’t experience it at Dillard–HBCUs can have an elite “feel” for some.

I just published the article below on the Chicago Defender website about a children’s book to help kids look forward to an HBCU and thought it might make an interesting kick off to a discussion on deciding to attend an HBCU. Parents, would you want your child to chose an HBCU? Why or why not? Feel free to be open…we respect opinions on my site (and delete those who can’t). And friends who are not Black, feel free to listen in, comment, or even send me an inbox message if you’d rather not post…questions are welcomed.

Children’s book enlightens students on importance of attending an HBCU