As we seated ourselves, he asked, “Terry, do you realize that next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy?”
That question was posed to me in a local coffee shop by Carl McNair, the brother of one of the seven astronauts who perished on January 28,1986, Dr. Ronald E. McNair. His question centered up the context for why we decided to meet that day; to talk about next month’s African American History Month and, with it, the implications and uncertainties of a new political environment on that and other events. Yes, we’d been reading the tea leaves, i.e., book banning, Project 2025, dismantling DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) programs and what all that portends for matters of importance to our community.
Now top of mind for us, and the reason for our meeting, was what it all portends for the future of HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) institutions from which we both graduated — he and Ronald from North Carolina A&T State University.
Over the next hour, I posed Carl with questions pertaining to the future of the 100+ HBCU institutions today. We began with the circumstances that led to his choice to attend North Carolina A&T.
Who had the biggest impact on your decision to attend a HBCU school?
Without doubt, it was my mother Pearl McNair who graduated as valedictorian of her segregated high school class. Despite unequal facilities, she graduated valedictorian of her class and earned a scholarship to attend Morris College, a HBCU. She majored in Education before returning to our hometown to teach and later earned a master’s degree from South Carolina State University, another HBCU. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students left an enduring legacy in our community.
Inspired by our mother, Ronald and I graduated from segregated Carver High School, and both pursued higher education at North Carolina A&T, a school that changed the trajectory of our lives. Both my wife and daughter earned ungraduated degrees from A&T before obtaining graduate degrees from predominately white institutions.
What inspired Ronald to pursue a degree in physics?
Ronald faced steep challenges when he decided to major in physics at A&T. Coming from a small, underfunded school in rural South Carolina, he was intimidated by peers from predominantly white schools from New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., who were far ahead in math and science. For a moment, he considered abandoning his dream of becoming a physicist to majoring in music. However, an academic advisor at A&T believed in Ronald when he doubted himself and encouraged him to persevere. With her guidance, he earned his degree in physics and graduated magna cum laude. This propelled him to acceptance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Ph.D. in laser physics and ultimately to NASA as an astronaut.
Over the years you’ve spoken passionately about the role HBCUs have played in shaping leaders. Say more.
HBCUs have long been a haven for “diamonds in the rough,” polishing their talents and preparing them for stellar professional careers. As you pointed out in your recent article about the pipeline of graduates from Tougaloo College, a HBCU school, to Harvard Medical School, many graduates from HBCUs move on to attend premier graduate schools nationally. The nurturing environment of HBCUs fosters resilience, builds confidence and equips students with the tools they need to excel in a society that often underestimates them.
Of course, the fact is that our nation’s history is replete with examples of HBCU graduates who have made significant contributions. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, NASA Mathematician Kathrine Johnson — these are just a few of the countless leaders whose achievements have shaped our country. Those stories of everyday heroes remind us that HBCUs do more than produce leaders; they uplift the entire nation.
This brings us to today and what could lie ahead for HBCUs. So, what keeps you awake at night if we lose sight of the value of our schools?
In a time when America faces mounting challenges, we cannot afford to neglect the intellectual capital nurtured at HBCUs. These institutions have not only provided education to millions of underserved students but have also played a critical role in sharpening the global competitiveness of our nation. Their continued success is vital, not just for Black students, but for America as a whole.
If provided with opportunities to have private conversations with HBCU presidents, what would suggest they do more of, less of, stop doing altogether or start anew given the uncertainties of today’s environment?
Good question. Honestly, the first thing I’d acknowledge to them is how valuable of a role they play in the future and vitality of the universities they lead. That said, I’d suggest more collaboration with other universities and with public and private organizations and corporations should be a top priority since HBCUs can’t go it alone given the uncertainties of today. I’d further recommend that they perform a critical self-analysis if they haven’t done so which may lead to reinventing themselves and the institutions they lead given today’s realities.
Finally, as the old saying goes, “You don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you,” but balancing the scale between revenue sources and financial solvency on one side and college affordability for largely underserved students on the other should remain a top priority. I know that this is top of mind for them since they just don’t have the luxury of multimillion-dollar budgets, wealthy donors and endowments to fall back on.
Anything else?
Oh yeah! I’d tell them to leverage the heighten interest in HBCU schools nowadays due in no small part to Vice President Kamala Harris’ and others I mentioned who graduated from HBCUs. Truth is that applications at those schools have soared given their uniquely caring, supportive environments and relative affordability.
Speaking of presidents, imagine for a moment that you received an invitation to meet privately with President Trump. What would you say to him about the need for HBCUs?
(Laugh) Remember the MC Hammer’s song from years ago, “Can’t Touch This”? Well, that’s my answer for now. But I will say that chances are slim that that will happen anytime soon since his administration just issued an executive order to eliminate all federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. So I won’t hold my breath waiting for the invitation. Now ask me this question a year from now and I’m sure I’ll have an answer based on what he’s done or not done.
You get the last word here Carl.
Okay, let me flip this interview back to you with a question. You knew my brother Ronald when we all lived in Boston. What do you remember most about him?
Ah, you caught me off guard with this one. But what immediately comes to mind was that time when Ron and my late brother Michael shared an apartment on 320 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston that caught fire one afternoon. Since I worked nearby, I rushed over to check on things when I encountered Ronald sitting with a baseball bat on the steps leading up to the third floor. He told me that he was there to protect low income building residents’ apartments from being looted.
In the end, are HBCU schools still needed?
Well, after reading this narrative, the question answered itself, didn’t it? Terry Howard is an award-winning writer. He is a contributing writer with the Chattanooga News Chronicle, The American Diversity Report, The Douglas County Sentinel, Blackmarket.com, recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award, and third place winner of the Georgia Press Award.