Missing Coins: Southern University cheated out of $1.3 billion

A recent article released by Forbes Magazine showcased a report depicting the lack of funding for the nation’s 18 public land-grant historically black colleges and universities since 1987. At the top of the list was North Carolina A&T, with a whopping amount nearing $2.8 billion, while fifth on the list was our beloved Southern University.
According to the report our university has been underfunded by $1.3 billion (inflation-adjusted) during the last three decades. But, when calculating the total for all 18 universities, it was $12.3 billion.
Forbes stated that they calculated the various amounts by “comparing the per-pupil state funding of the predominantly White land-grant schools with their counterpart HBCUs.” So, this means that if Southern had been funded equivalently as to a school like LSU, the school would have received $1.3 billion. This displays the great disadvantage that HBCUs everywhere must face.
Some might try to push this off as a simple dispute of which schools do more research, but, Southern is currently a R2 Carnegie designation, the second-highest classification for American research universities. This rating signifies that our university “has high research activity” and does this without resources that might be available at PWI’s.
My issue is that because the school is being underfunded, students and staff are missing out on so many opportunities. We can only do so much with the amount of money we do receive from the state or alumni. This is a remarkable sum that could be used for the betterment of our beloved school.
Just think about the serious evolution that could be made to classrooms, dorms, and basic infrastructure. I also believe that reconstruction would be so much quicker on the campus if we did receive these funds. This report shows the rare tenacity and strength that can found at HBCUs because even when many schools are not receiving funds they still preserve and thrive. But I can’t help to wonder about what life on the Bluff would look like if it didn’t have to fight against this gross display of institutional racism.
All and all its up to students to make some noise about this, so the state legislature can see that we take this issue seriously. We want only the very best for our university, but that can’t happen if the school isn’t given what it is due.