By: Kate Sinodis, Rose Andrews, and Kylie Radford

On Friday, February 4th, an (HBCU) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and career fair will be held in the aux Gym during both lunches. Recruiters will be visiting from many of North Carolina’s HBCU colleges; so students can learn about what these institutions have to offer. The fair will be hosted by the African American Student Association and the Apex Ambassadors, and organized by Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Lewis. The fair features a number of HBCU colleges and universities, as well as a few trade schools. The purpose of the fair is to educate more people on HBCU options. Many people believe that HBCU schools are only for African American students; however, students of all races and ethnicities are welcome to attend. There will also be a DJ present, playing music while students explore their options. 

An HBCU college is a recognized Historically Black College and University, acknowledged by the United States. One of the teacher coordinators, Mrs. Lewis, feels very strongly on the subject of these HBCUs. “One of the reasons for hosting an HBCU fair is to get black colleges more recognized. A lot of times HBCUs are overlooked because they tend to have a sort of a bad reputation. They were created so black and brown people had colleges they could attend.”

Some of the colleges appearing at the fair include Livingston College, Shaw University, Winston-Salem State University, Wayne Community College, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Central University, Johnson C. Smith University, SKEMA business school, and Saint Augustine’s University. Among the confirmed HBCU schools for the fair, there are also going to be a few trade schools advertised, community colleges, and even an appearance by a beauty school. Almost all of the HBCU schools in North Carolina have confirmed their attendance. In terms of affordability, HBCUs are characterized by increased affordability. According to the UNCF Fact Sheet, the average cost of attending an HBCU is 27 percent less than a comparable predominantly white institution (PWI).

One of the reasons HBCUs started was because black and brown people were not accepted into predominantly white institutions (PWIs), “They were created by black people in order to give an education to black and brown people and colleges to attend. It is very deeply rooted in that and is rich in culture and I just feel so strongly about them because I feel like they are just as great as other universities, and you don’t have to be black or brown to go to an HBCU, and if you are not,you can actually get scholarships and things of that nature as well to go to these schools and they really have really great programs.”

Make sure to check out the HBCU college fair this Friday in the aux gym, to learn more about opportunities for your future. There is something there for everyone.