Home > News > Post Content

HBCUs Feel the Effects of Hurricane Katrina.... (640 hits)

BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SUFFER IMMENSELY FROM HURRICANE KATRINA

Many HBCU students may have to lose an entire semester or more.

Long Beach, CA (BlackNews.com) - Historically-Black colleges and universities are constantly faced with challenges that can include state funding issues, inadequate housing, poor student-teacher ratios, and even violence. However, the most recent challenge is none other than Hurricane Katrina.

The deadly natural disaster has affected several HBCUs in the gulf coast area including Dilliard University, Xavier University and Southern University in New Orleans, and Tougaloo College in Mississippi. Campuses are damaged, students are stranded, and the school year may not start this year at all.

Fortunately, several organizations are stepping up to the plate to offer some relief. One of these is The United Negro College Fund (www.uncf.org), which has initiated a special online relief fund that people can donate to.

Dr. Michael Lomax of the UNCF, comments, "We need longtime supporters and new friends as well to help us raise the funds our schools will need to begin the long and costly rebuilding process."

In addition, the National Association of Equal Opportunity In Higher Education (www.nafeo.org) has launched a program seeking to coordinate with other universities to provide alternatives for students enrolled at affected HBCUs.

Many wonder though, whether this will be enough to avoid having Black students lose an entire semester or more.

HBCUconnect.com, the largest online destination for HBCU students and alumni, plans to encourage their thousands of members to do what they can to help. William Moss comments, "We are creating a dedicated section on the web site (www.hbcuconnect.com) that will feature exclusive news, forums, and advice on how to help these HBCUs. We also plan to setup an online fund that people can donate to."

Many say that the key to helping these HBCUs is to donate money and to create an awareness about the situation. Likely, Tom Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, and other celebrity graduates of Black colleges, will launch initiatives of their own.

Dante Lee, CEO of BlackNews.com, comments, "Anyone who has media power should urge their audience to help. Every graduate of an HBCU, including myself, must take action."

In addition to Black colleges, many black businesses and black families have been destroyed. To help these, interested ones can donate to Red Cross (www.redcross.org) or can volunteer by contacting USA Freedom Corps (www.usafreedomcorps.gov)

Posted By:
Thursday, September 1st 2005 at 11:55AM
You can also click here to view all posts by this author...

Report obscenity | post comment

Share |

The mayor of New Orleans also neglected his duties in declaring a mandatory evacuation due to his lack of preparedness. He waited until after Hurricane Katrina became a Category 5 to announce a mandatory evacuation. This action was only to save his administration from taking the blame. In order for a local government to announce a mandatory evacuation, they must have the resources to evacuate or provide shelter for those who are unable to do so. Residents in New Orleans have known for years that the levees can only sustain a hit from a hurricane at Category 3 or below status. The mayor in being elected to his position was made aware of this situation. Therefore, on Thursday afternoon when Hurricane Katrina posed a threat to the New Orleans area, he should have started to prepare the city for this. On Sunday morning at approximately 3am, Katrina became a Category 4 hurricane. This should have alerted the mayor to mandate evacuation and start making plans for the impoverished residents of his city (which is over 50% of the residents and where children make up over 70% of the impoverished residents). However, he waited until 7am to have a press conference. He did not open the Superdome to special needs residents until Sunday at noon. For non-special needs, later than that. Gas had run out in some areas by 3pm, clarifying the need for those residents who could leave to leave. Those residents who could leave, had gone, or have made plans to leave. Yet, he still had not opened the shelters for those who could not get out of the city. On Sunday, Katrina became a Category 5. A direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane could put the entire city of New Orleans underwater. Our levees could only sustain Category 3 waters. Ray Nagin and the rest of the country’s officials know this, and have known this for years. Therefore, no one can be thanked. Everyone is wrong in placing the blame on other people. Everyone is now taking action now that the world is looking in on them. “Cowboy Bush” (as Hugo Chavez calls him), 7th Ward Nagin, and the rest of them did not take any action to make sure that this tragedy did not occur. And in response, a travesty has occurred. Everyone is pointing the finger at someone else’s administration, saying that they did not do enough, that their administration is not reacting fast enough. Therefore in conclusion, now that the tragedy has occurred, everyone wants to react and wants others to help. However, were doing nothing to help themselves prior.
Thursday, September 1st 2005 at 11:33PM
Ashley Lynn Sergeant

A HBCU Parent Speaks Out:
An Open Letter from Parent of a Xavier Student re: Hurricane Katrina

Dear HBCU students- there are some ways you can help:

1.Say a prayer of thanksgiving for your safety and being spared from what is a horrific natural disaster.

2. Stop and pray for those families and students who remained behind in New Orleans/Gulf areas that they make it thru physically as well as emotionally. The stress to the human mind is overwhelming.

3. Reach out to those who need help. If you reside in states who have taken in large # of evacuees: Texas, Georgia, Tenn. etc:
-Contact the temporary housing locations to assess the immediate needs. Conduct a Food/Jeans Drive/Cothing/Toiletries/.etc for families housed there
-Create an Angel Tree of needs and working with your curches/sororities/fraternities/alumni groups etc- have peoples " adopt" a family and provide the specific needs for the family.
- Volunteer to work with the children at the shelters- read/play/games/crafts etc. This will assist both the children and the adults as they seek to understand how they will need to rebuild their lives.
- Seek donations from airlines for travel to get stranded students/families to other areas.

4. Create an formidable outcry so that when FEMA monies are getting distributed- the spotlight will be on-don't allow the HBCU's: Dillard/Xavier/Tugaloo to be overlooked while major funds are spent on othe institutions. Similarly, if you believe the constant stream of negative images across the media on our comunities in New Orleans- it would seem we were impacted the most- WILL THOSE COMMUNITIES GET THE LION SHARE OF THE RESOURCES? OR WILL THE MEDIA NOT BE AROUND TO REPORT ON THE UNBALANCED ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES?

5. Understand that you ( our black students) are the greatest resources of our black community. We must now start to plans ways to mobilize and rebuild our beloved colleges and New Orleans. The same folks who control the media images now are also planning on how to financially capitalize on the pain and suffering of New Orleans. Don't allow this to happen. We must take action now and be proactive. Reach out to other students from your campus- create a vehicle to share reliable news- we can not rely on the national media to tell our story correctly.
In closing, I also challenge you to reach out to your colleges and let them know students care about the safety of the staff/college workers/ cafeteria folks/maintenance etc. Send a email to your college president- asking how you can help- not bashing or second guessing their actions. We don't need to turn on each other- now is the time for us to display the values of love, compassion, and community service which we know will get us thru.

Friday, September 2nd 2005 at 10:56AM
Carol Phelps