Like any normal Thursday, I rushed to the newspaper stand to read The Panther. After reading the popular sections like 20 Questions and students complaining about financial aid, I stumbled upon the picture that graces the PVAMU webpage and above it read “Alumna upset at university’s efforts to recognize diversity”. Upset? Every time I see that very same picture I am reminded of that wonderful day of service that I participated in and was pleased to know that my university established that program. What are you possibly upset about? Year after year President Wright acknowledges his plan to diversify the university at his general assemblies. Diversity is something that I believe is good for the university. Contrary to what people believe, Prairie View is not looked at as a college with extraordinary nursing and engineering programs, but a college for blacks, or that it’s a black school.
At times people are shocked to hear that white people attend the university. In my view, diversity erases the stereotype of a black school and adds attributes of a great institution with great programs that happen to be at a HBCU. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact I am at a black college, but it angers me to know that people only know Prairie View A&M University as a black school.
It also disturbs me that the alumna could not see past the pictures. Did she not realize that the four young ladies were wearing P.A.W. T-shirts? Panthers At Work, an event that students not only at the university, but locally, took part in to clean the Waller County community. She also commented on the picture of the two white cyclists. Tour de Pink was part of a fund raising program for breast cancer. So disturbed and disgusted with the pictures, she should have been proud that their university helped sponsor those incredible events that not only benefit blacks, but all people.
“It’s a shame that an institution for blacks won’t even promote and showcase blacks.” How as an alumna can you say that Prairie View does not promote and showcase blacks! That very same picture that disturbed you of the cyclists, above it is a larger photo of a group of black students participating in P.A.W, students actually working rather than taking a beautiful snapshot. On the PVAMU website, below the picture of the four Hispanic ladies are articles stating Prairie View ranked 27 out of 50 colleges for African Americans. Under that it recognizes 100 percent of PV nursing graduates pass the state’s licensing exams. If that is not uplifting to read and promoting the success of black students from this university, then financial aid has never been a problem at PV.
As far as killing the black population on campus, that is by far a fairy tale. According to FastWeb.com, a website for college profiles and scholarships, Prairie View is dominated with 93 percent of African Americans and only a tiny sprinkle three percent of Hispanics and whites attend the university.
Embracing our culture and uplifting blacks is embedded in my heart, but to ignore other races and minorities is being ignorant to the fact that you live in America. As one of my professors stated, “Hispanics are the new Negroes in this country,” which is true. Blacks are a minority, but we are being over populated by Hispanics. Prairie View, a university that was founded for blacks, but more importantly it was an institution that was built because whites did not want to share their classrooms with people of color. Whether the color is black, brown, yellow, or red, Prairie View has accepted them and should continue to welcome others. I hope by the time I become an alumna of this university, Prairie View A&M University not only attracts many cultures, but is known as an exceptional institution of higher learning and is not characterized as a black school.
– Cherita Ware