Howard University Faces Backlash Over Admitting Male Students To Medical School Taking on a long-standing issue within the tight-knit community of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Dr. Boyce Watkins recently penned an op-ed piece addressing concerns that there is a significant lack of black male students accepted into prestigious higher-education programs on a regular basis. Under the microscope at present is notable HBCU Howard University. Dr. Watkins shared a statement passed along by once of her colleagues who reiterated a quote from a speaker at the Rodham Institute Conference, which suggested that not one black male had been admitted to the Howard University Medical School program last year. Check out an excerpt from the discussion piece below: via Black Blue Dog The other day, I received an article submission from my friend and esteemed colleague, Dr. Julianne Malveaux. In her article, Dr. Malveaux did a wonderful job speaking on healthcare disparities, particularly those impacting the African American community. In a fleeting remark that was meant to make a broader point, Dr. Malveaux threw a nuclear warhead at me that made my face hit the floor. She said, “However, one of the speakers at the Rodham Institute conference indicated that not one African American man was admitted to this year’s class at Howard University’s medical school! If historically black Howard University won’t admit African American men, who will?” I was stunned to hear such a revelation, and could only ask myself, “What in the $#%^ is going on?” Howard University, one of the most cherished and respected HBCUs in the country, attracts top students from all walks of life. The school is certainly worthy of respect, but it’s stunning to hear that Howard, like so many other universities across the country, has a diversity problem. I have several people reaching out to the university and searching for data to find out if Julianne’s assertions are accurate, and I am hopeful that the school is responsive. But even if they have one or two black males admitted to the program this year, it would be astonishing that the number is so horrifically and embarrassingly low. The theories regarding why this racial exclusion exists are relatively dichotomous. On one hand, there is the “Black men choose not to apply” theory. In a similar spirit, there is the “Black men are too lazy and all want to be rappers” theory. This speaks to the idea that black men are so absorbed into stereotypical media images, turning up bottles at the club and trying to get into the NBA that we don’t want to become doctors. The notions above also tie into the “Black men just aren’t qualified” theory, which argues that black men are applying, but just can’t make the cut. While most of us can reference problems that have occurred in the advancement of black males, particularly due to the growth of the prison industrial complex, I personally know enough hard-working, intelligent black men to realize that there might something more sinister at play. What’s your take on this issue, Bossip fam? Are HBCUs biased against black male students and more focused on education young women? Or is this uneven enrollment a result of young black males being less qualified than their female counterparts? Let’s discuss. Continue reading →
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