Faculty members from Maryland’s four historically black colleges and universities will hold a rally this week to protest inequitable funding from the state towards its HBCUs, and the unsatisfactory remedies it has promoted to fix the separate-but-equal system of higher education for black and white students.
The Afro-American Newspaper reports on the rally planned for Mar. 2 in Annapolis, which is likely to be attended by students and alumni from Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland – Eastern Shore.
Faculty leadership from the two schools say that the assembly will attempt to raise public awareness about the disparities between Maryland’s historically black and predominantly white colleges, and to emphasize the state’s continuing maltreatment of its HBCUs through a proposal to create collaborative programs between HBCUs and PWIs, while funding these programs with $50 million over five years. From the Afro-American:
“This is an opportunity to inform public opinion on what the state proposed. As faculty, it doesn’t meet our needs. We want to raise awareness. We’re not just asking for money; we’re asking for the opportunity to have equity across the universities,” said Claudia Nelson, faculty senate chair, Coppin State University. “A grant program of $10 million to be shared across HBCUs and TWIs is inadequate. It does not come anywhere near the funding of the needs of institutions in terms of enhancement and programs. The state, making those proposals, undermined HBCUs in a way that is shameful.”
In 2013, federal judge Catherine Blake ruled that the state had willfully duplicated unique programs originated at the state’s four black colleges amongst its predominantly white colleges, limiting enrollment and diversity at the HBCUs, along with potential funding which typically accompanies expansion.
If the faculty at Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore are so upset with the disparate treatment from the Maryland State Legislators, why haven’t none of the faculty from the English, Political Science, History department have written any Op-Ed pieces voicing their displeasure in any of the local newspapers.
Matter of fact, this also applies to the Faculty Senate at those institutions that have such organizations as well. In other words, this protest will be nothing more than an exercise in futility.
Protest is still good, it is working on Louisiana and I agree SU Law Center should have sued higher education in the state of LA a long time ago. Faculty and organizational leaders as well as the black caucus in the state of MD should have done something before now. However, protest is always in order when injustice is taking place ie. King and Malcolm X