Snapchat gives HBCUs a warm welcome

Being that it is welcome week for Black Colleges, Snapchat decided to give Historically Black
Colleges and Universities some recognition. While some snaps *have been comedic, others have been informative to incoming freshmen, and others were simply entertainment. Viewers from across the world have been able to see what a normal day at an HBCU brings. Prospective students have been able to view campuses, bands, Greek life, and various dormitories.
HBCUs receive a bad reputation in the media and everyday conversation from students at predominantly white institutions. HBCUs are often compared to the white schools across town. LSU and Southern are constantly being compared amongst students. Many students like Electrical Engineering major, DeMarcus Thomas of Donaldsonville have agreed that the experience a Black student would receive at a school where everyone looks like them is unreal at times.
“I attended predominantly white schools in the past, and I definitely feel more comfortable when the masses share my features.”
Snapchat showed its viewers that no two yards are the same. They all have similar attributes but each campus has something that stands out to spectators. The cultural aspects vary from campus to campus. While the Cougars at Clark Atlanta eat fried chicken on Wednesdays, the Jaguars of Southern University are served fried chicken on Mondays alongside red beans and rice.
Greek life appears to be the strong suit on most yards by looking at Snapchat day to day. Each organization has their own distinctive way of allowing spectators to know just who they are and
how they came about. Though strolling wasn’t initially a part of Greek life, it’s how they
celebrate their letters and gain pledges. The initial purpose of Greek letter organizations was to have a society of people who looked like them and to be of service to their community.
One reason while the reputations of Black institutions suffer is because of their living environments. As seen on Snapchat, there was one school that had a bathroom ceiling leaking water, sound familiar? These Black schools have been around since before Black people or even poor white people gained civil rights. Some have been renovated a few times since being established and others have been neglected for what seems to have been just as long.
For incoming freshmen, all of this may be quite a bit to take in. There was one guy featured on snapchat who was obviously upset about a conversation that he engaged in with a student. The
student asked him where she could find room 205 and his response was “on the second floor.”
For some that may not be funny but if you remember your freshmen year, and how lost you were, it may have painted a smile on your face. Another snapper was disgusted that the freshmen
were wearing their IDs around their necks. He noted that they weren’t in high school and it was
unnecessary to wear the ID in plain sight. The following snapper was a young lady who said she was going to wear her lanyard around her neck because she couldn’t afford to lose it; she added that she couldn’t even afford her books.
Snapchat has allowed the outside world to see how fun the experience at an HBCU really is. Students that attend predominantly Black institutions learn to cope with the conditions of reality. You learn to make something from nothing, handle business, and have a great time while still striving to make your community better by beginning with self.