Opportunities and Challenges at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

M. Gasman, F. Commodore, M. Gasman, F. Commodore

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781137480408
• eBook ISBN:
  9781137480415
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Amministrazione nella didattica

In this edited collection, the authors grapple with both the strengths and challenges that HBCUs face as the nation's demographics change, from their place in American society and growing diversity on HBCU campuses to class and elitism issues to study abroad and honors programs.

P A R T I

Pipelines and Plans

C H A P T E R O N E

Black Colleges, Media, and the Power of Storytelling

QUINTON STROUD

In their article titled “How to paint a better portrait of HBCUs,” Gasman and Bowman (2011) interrogate current media portrayals of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as well as highlight a variety of potential factors affecting current perceptions of these institutions in the media. Through an examination of the history of media relations with HBCUs, they have uncovered what they deem to be a “pattern of unfair news accounts” and suggest that HBCUs have been at the center of intense scrutiny since their inception. They assert that one of the major issues that perpetuates unfair coverage is the propensity for media outlets to report the most desperate and turbulent situations occurring at HBCUs as being the norm.

This normalizing of turmoil across HBCUs is supported by the underrepresentation of HBCU stories in media and national education publications. The low levels of mainstream coverage received by these institutions allow for single stories to be held as representative of all HBCUs. This practice supports the construction of narrowly framed stories of HBCUs, which are noted as often lacking context, ignoring the diversity that is represented among the current 105 HBCUs, and diminishing the accomplishments and contributions of HBCUs to American higher education.

The threat of these narrowly framed stories lies in the potential for wide generalizations and stereotypes to negatively impact HBCUs. These generalizations and stereotypes affect HBCUs’ ability to recruit students and faculty, funding, accreditation, and the policymaking process at state and national levels with regard to the viability and persistence of this particular set of institutions.

After noting the tendency of the media to support generalizations of HBCUs, Gasman and Bowman consider strategies that the media might implement in order to create more balanced and accurate depictions of HBCUs. They suggest that one such strategy is to provide context when penning stories regarding HBCUs and through the use of stories garnered from a variety of HBCUs. Too often the accomplishments of HBCUs in the mainstream are drawn from only a few select schools—most often Morehouse, Spelman, and Howard—and ignore the diversity of the 105 institutions. The authors also highlight the use of unfair comparisons in media that juxtaposes HBCUs with elite wealthy institutions such as Ivy League schools, which have much larger endowments and have not experienced the history of racial discrimination experienced by HBCUs.

The authors go on to suggest potential areas of growth for HBCU administrators and leaders in the process of crafting better portrayals and stories regarding the institutions that they head. Though the authors acknowledge that HBCU leaders may often decide to shy away from reporters and media as a result of past mistreatments, they suggest that the tendency to disengage with media allows for stories lacking the authentic voice of HBCU leadership, which are needed for providing more nuanced articles regarding these institutions. Choosing to disengage with media does more harm than good as it allows those outside of the schools, who often lack genuine experience and interaction with these institutions, to dictate the direction of discussion.

Honestly and thoughtfully engaging with media will allow HBCUs to have a larger share of control in shaping their own public image and will provide leadership the opportunity to dispel inaccurate generalizations and stereotypes that may exist surrounding their schools. The most critical suggestion made by the authors is the need for HBCU leaders to be intentional in their efforts to tell their own stories. They recommend the need for HBCUs to vigorously engage media by providing stories that will support and uplift their institutions and combat damaging generalizations. For the purposes of this review, I will focus my attention on the potential of storytelling to serve as a tool for HBCU leadership to support and preserve the legacy of their respective institutions and promote the viability of the entire HBCU system.

Methods

In order to develop a framework for the power of storytelling, I will review the concept of the counter-story as developed by critical race theorists. Then using analysis of media narratives produced by HBCU leaders, I will highlight the means by which several HBCU leaders have used storytelling to develop better images of their institutions, challenge preconceived notions, and support the communities in which their schools are located. I conclude with recommendations on ways in which HBCUs can craft better stories and develop more positive images for themselves in mainstream media.

The Power of Storytelling

Solórzano and Yosso (2002) have provided a useful conception of storytelling through their development and discussion of the counter-story.¹ The counter-story has been described as a story that yields the power and potential to build community, challenge perceived wisdom, open new realities for those often found voiceless in dominant discourse, and teach others the possibility of creating a richer, more complex narrative than the ones that dominate the dialogue surrounding a particular topic. The counter-story is created through the process of combining data-based research with the existing knowledge surrounding a topic, along with the professional and personal experiences of the people responsible for the storytelling. I suggest that the counter-story, to a large extent, relies on proven data and research as a means of directly deflating dominant stories and generalizations.

Though the counter-story has been noted to be useful in combating generalizations, competing with stereotypes is not its sole purpose. Focusing only on this purpose, that is, competing with stereotypes and generalizations, is seen as having the potential to strengthen the stereotype by allowing it to continually dominate public discourse. The notion of the counter-story relies on a method of discourse that highlights and supports groups whose authentic voices and experiences may often be missing in dominant discourse surrounding a particular topic. The underrepresentation of articles in the media dedicated to discussing HBCUs is noted in Gasman and Bowman’s (2011) article, and as such I suggest that this type of storytelling may prove to be an effective tool in the arsenal of HBCU administrators for supporting the development of their various institutions. The counter-story has the three-pronged ability to “shatter complacency, challenge dominant discourse, and further the struggle for reform” (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002, p. 32).

In the following sections I will draw on analysis of HBCU leaders using media in order to tell stories representative of the method of counter-storytelling in ways that support their respective institutions and HBCUs in general.

Combating Complacency

The first qualifier of the counter-story, its ability to stir consciousness or combat complacency, can be noted in an article penned by Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University. In an article in the LA Times titled, “Why USC and not a Black College, Dr. Dre?” Kimbrough (2013) contemplates the donation of $70 million to USC by music moguls Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. The money was given to the university to develop a program combining “liberal arts, graphic and product design, business and technology” in order to build the type of talented applicants needed to further the aims of the music moguls’ thriving music technology business. Kimbrough goes on to discuss the various reasons the duo may have chosen to support USC over other schools including its proximity to Compton—the area where Dr. Dre was raised—coupled with the fact that Iovines’ daughter is an alumna of the university.

Though Kimbrough acknowledges that these artists are allowed to use their money as they please, he uses this article to suggest the transformative possibilities of such a sizeable donation if given to a Black college. While affirming the respectability and prestige of USC, Kimbrough notes that the $3.5 billion dollar endowment while impressive—Dr. Dre’s $35 million donation being the largest by a Black man to an institution of higher learning—is “gravy” to such well-resourced institutions where the yearly tuition alone is $45,602. He notes that such a gift to an HBCU would not only support multiple scholarships for the same price but also be instrumental in supporting entire communities of color.

Continuing his interrogation of Dr. Dre’s decision to donate to USC instead of an HBCU, Kimbrough addresses the notion that HBCUs might lack the capacity and expertise to undertake and support such an innovative technological program. To prove that this notion is inaccurate, Kimbrough relies on the use of data and research. Citing research from the National Science Foundation, which highlights the importance of Black colleges in the production of Black scientists and engineers, he presents data stating, “the top five producers of Blacks who go on to earn science, technology, engineering and math graduate degrees are Black colleges, as are 20 of the top 50.” He further asserts that the legacy of musical tradition associated with HBCUs would have made a Black college an optimal site for such a historic donation.

Kimbrough’s article meets the potential of the counter-story to “shatter complacency” as it is not simply an attempt to chastise Dr. Dre for his personal decision, but a call to action, which can be used to challenge and ignite philanthropic support of HBCUs by prominent Black figures. Kimbrough is careful to note that these institutions provide opportunities to students who play significant roles in supporting the careers of many current Black entertainers. Kimbrough’s use of data and research to support his claim that HBCUs are indeed a “quality product” also support my selection of his article as a manifestation of the counter-story.

The value of Kimbrough’s article lies in its potential to stir the conscious of philanthropists who may have never considered HBCUs as sites for giving as well as challenging notions regarding the HBCUs’ abilities to manage new and innovative programming. Kimbrough was also able to present the accomplishments of HBCUs in a larger context, a tactic for displaying HBCU successes presented in Gasman and Bowman’s article. By presenting data on the capacity of HBCUs and its involvement in the production and preparation of Black scientists, Kimbrough is able to ensure that readers of his article become more educated on the capacity of HBCUs. Thus, I suggest that Kimbrough’s article is important and representative of how HBCU leadership must engage in the art of storytelling as a means of supporting their respective universities.

Challenging Dominant Discourse

The counter-story has the ability to “challenge dominant discourse.” This type of storytelling is showcased by op-eds penned by HBCU leader Dr. Larry Robinson, who served as the interim president of Florida A&M University (FAMU). In 2011, FAMU found itself in the center of a media maelstrom surrounding the hazing death of Robert Champion, member of the university Marching 100 band. Reports affirm that Champion’s death was the result of a hazing-related practice, which band members participated in as an attempt to gain respect and position within the organization. In presenting the facts surrounding the death of Mr. Champion, the ability of the university to protect its student body was brought into question not only by media but also by prospective students (Bennett, 2012). Amanda Wilson, an incoming freshman the year following the incident, spoke of her angst regarding enrolling at the university. She mentioned the decisions of many of her friends to go elsewhere following the death of Mr. Champion, and even her own doubts prior to deciding FAMU was the right choice for her (Bennett, 2012). This type of questioning of the university became evident when the fall enrollment of incoming students dramatically decreased from 3,778 in 2011, the year of the incident, to 2,508 in 2012 (Enrollment, 2013).

Though the image of the university may have been tarnished, interim president Dr. Larry Robinson has reached out to state media outlets in order to tell a different story. Robinson’s articles are crucial to moving the university beyond the stigma of hazing, surrounding and complicating the image of FAMU, by highlighting the various successes and contributions the university has made to the state of Florida and the nation.

Robinson has used various news outlets throughout the state including the Tallahassee Democrat, the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, and the Tampa Bay Times in his attempts to redirect the dialogue surrounding FAMU. In these articles, he acknowledges the university’s shortcomings as a means of addressing prior potential critiques of the institution. He then uses data to highlight the value of FAMU to the current student body, the state of Florida, and the nation (Robinson, 2013a, b). Robinson notes that the turmoil surrounding the university has supported the media in “repeatedly asking what went wrong with FAMU and focused on unflattering news stories” and may have caused the “general public to miss more prominent yet less told stories of what goes right at FAMU” (2013b, p. 1). Robinson (2013b) states that the often “myopic snapshots” that showcase the university in turmoil miss the “intricate collage of great things” that are happening at the university on a regular basis.

The stories Robinson crafts in his articles are used to create a more nuanced image of the university, one that has received 21 patents in pharmaceutical research in recent years and has developed innovations and technological advancements in agriculture that are beneficial to the state at large. Robinson highlights the work of the university viticulture center in supporting the efforts of Florida grape farmers and wine manufacturers through outreach programming and the production of innovative agricultural biotechnology. Like Kimbrough, Robinson utilizes specific data and research to support his claims, noting that the university has assisted in increasing vineyard acreage throughout the state by more than 16% and has been instrumental in increasing the production and sale of Florida wines by approximately 35%. The school’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences has recently “developed a new disease-resistant Muscadine grape known as Majesty,” which has been highlighted for its superior size and taste (Robinson, 2013a).

Beyond supporting agricultural initiatives in the state of Florida, Robinson tells stories of FAMU that highlight the development of a new lightweight material that has been proved useful for aircraft assembly and has gained the attention of the National Football League for its potential in producing protective headgear for athletes. Robinson (2013b) notes that the university remains one of the nation’s largest producers of African Americans with bachelor’s degrees, and continues to produce nearly one-fifth of the African Americans with doctorate degrees in environmental and pharmaceutical sciences as reminders of the capabilities of the university. The stories Robinson crafts are of highly trained faculty, chemists, and pharmacists on the verge of breakthroughs in cancer, HIV/AIDS, and obesity, and physicists and engineers on the cutting edge of research.

While Robinson’s articles discuss the accomplishments and contributions of FAMU, he also makes sure to include the administration’s ongoing work, which is geared toward increasing efficiency and productivity by ensuring to “take stock of our challenges in order to avoid these same problems in the future and continue to improve.” Dr. Robinson’s engaging of the media is representative of the art of cou...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Introduction
• Part I  Pipelines and Plans
• Part II  People and Programs
• Part III  Purpose and Philosophy
• List of Contributors
• Index