Project 21 Hit On HBCUs (Part 2)

A commentor criticized my post here, stating I didn't address the overall point. What follows is my reply to TBM who wrote:

The article was about forsaking sports for more science and technology in the curriculum. The example of the NCAA money example is part of showing how much the schools are losing by keeping athletics. You don't address the overall topic in your post.

The author does a poor job of addressing it himself, instead using implications about the NCAA to support an idea he has, but the use of the NCAA angle was poorly thought [out] and and just plain wrong.

I mentioned that state HBCUs have to get approval from a governing board before approval is given, and if most are like the board that oversees FAMU, Morgan, Coppin, and Bowie, then it isn't a simple thing of creating a science or engineering program and offering it as an option.

Morgan University had to fight UMBC and Univ Maryland College Park to get its engineering program. Coppin had to fight UMBC to get its computer science program. Morgan and Bowie are still fighting to maintain certain MBA programs. FAMU was penalized for not having PhD programs, which were stripped from FAMU years ago, when Florida implemented a 3 tier program for its colleges and universities.

Let's look at what happens at the half-time portion of football games at Howard, FAMU, Grambling, Hampton University, and other HBCUs. The bands during 1/2 time actually are the bigger draw than the games themselves in some cases. Howard, FAMU, Grambling, Hampton, Morgan, and others, have bands that are known across the country and in some cases, are internationally known. The "Battle of the Bands" is a big yearly event at HBCUs and there is an attempt in Prince Georges County, Maryland to use the Battle as a marketing tool to bring students to HBCUs.

The author is suggesting FAMU scrap it's football program, where its world famous Rattlers Band shows off its stuff. It doesn't make too much sense when the marching band is a marketing tool.

Black students in high school aren't taking the math and science courses that lead into engineering, science and math majors in college. Programs such as The Algebra Project has the right idea by starting there. The author would have done better to highlight The Algebra Project and others like it to increase the number of Black students in the pipeline to get science, engineering, and technology degrees.