“We Are Southern University”

For decades following the establishment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities there was a sense of triumph that blacks would realize that they’d become apart of a place that focused on the betterment of their education and life experiences. Today we struggle with simply convincing some blacks to even consider applying to an hbcu. Some who may not budge because they realize they don’t want to deal with the unorganization, often times, unprofessionalism, and the lack of effort put into the schools by the ones who cash the institution’s checks. These issues can take a toll on anyone who invests time and money to such a place. Chiefly, Southern University has its share of issues waiting to be resolved.
Any student of Southern University can attest to the many problems that we are dealt during our enrollment. More important than construction projects, financial aid hassles, and the nonendorsment of healthy diets, we face issues that are deeper than the surface. Getting right to the point, all I say this… Disunion and unconsciousness.
If this is college, the place where people are cut from many different cloths come to meet, learn together, educate one another, and share lifestyles, why are we still so disconnected on this campus? Why is it that students often forget or have no knowledge completely of what it means to be apart of an hbcu? Who forgot to remind us all of why we are here? Because sometimes my peers need a vivid reminder. Sometimes it is taken for granted the opportunities that we posses being apart of are made just for us. There is a lack of pride, for who we are and what we are here to become. There is a lack of determination, for wanting more for ourselves and the place that we’ve chosen for higher education. No one is eager to represent this university not only by fashion and popularity but by the knowledge they acquire while being enrolled and by being examples of what they’ve been enlightened on.
One substantial example of the disregard for awareness on this campus is that more than half of the student body won’t even read this article. The closemindedness is a slap in the face to the progression of this university and the progression of this generation of black folks. This school isn’t a large one so there shouldn’t be any excuse for it not to be a more closeknit community particularly with everyone sharing a few common goals: respecting what it means to be at an Historically Black College and University, high gpa standards, promoting positive lifestyles and study habits, and overall progression of this university.
It becomes more evident everyday that this generation is looked down on as “the lost generation”. It goes without saying that our parents’ and grandparents’ generations are the ones voicing this opinion, which is a vain one may I add, seemingly because they are the ones who are supposed to be guiding us in life. We cannot become our parents and grandparents, we cannot make the mistake of omitting to show and prove. We have a special obligation as young college students and as young black people to reevaluate ourselves and open our minds to the things that will expand it profoundly. Hopefully starting with this article, thoughts will be provoked and new, beneficial habits will manifest.
We need to keep Southern University and all HBCU’s alive, strong, and consisting of scholars. We need to gain a sense of pride for being chosen by a higher power to have a Black college experience. A revolution can start with us, here, at this institution. All we need to do is remember the purpose and live accordingly.