RIVERSIDE, Mo. — Park Hill South High School held its annual HBCU showcase and college fair on Feb. 6.
The night was jam-packed with student performances, a panel discussion and college recruitment. It felt like taking a trip down South.
“There is a lot more to this world than just Kansas City,” said Derrick Smith, panelist and HBCU alumni. “We take some of our kids and have them get that Southern experience, that HBCU experience."
The showcase did its best to capture an irreplaceable experience at a time when the celebration of Black history is no longer recognized by federal agencies.
“There's a new administration in Washington, so this puts everybody in a different mindset," Smith said. “We don't need anyone to say it's okay to celebrate Black history. Black history is American history."
The Department of Education has warned that it would cut funding to universities that consider race in scholarships and hiring decisions. This isn’t the first time historically Black universities have been on the chopping block.
According to the Associated Press, 16 states in the U.S. have already missed out on at least 12.6 billion in federal funding.
“We're telling people you cannot have a seat at the table anymore. You need to be quiet,” said Jaylen Woodley, Park Hill South student. “We can't keep having that because then we have the same cycles of the Civil Rights Movement."
Students like Woodley have taken notice of the federal government’s efforts to suppress Black history. This has motivated her to consider going to an HBCU.
“I just hope to experience finally being able to be the majority and having a Black teacher,” Woodley said. “This is the first semester that I've ever had a Black teacher my entire life, and it's African American studies.”
Securing financial aid is often a barrier families face when making a college decision, but scholarship recruiters like Ed Jones have them covered.
“We have an 11th-grade traditional scholarship that is worth $50,000 to 25 schools,” Jones said. “If you want to go the HBCU route and funding may be an obstacle at the current moment, you can apply for our scholarship, and that obstacle can be removed."
Despite an array of financial challenges, HBCUs remain resilient.
“If we pull in our dollars, resources and our minds collectively, there's nothing we can’t do,” Jones said.
Park Hill South High School has hosted the showcase for a few years now. Since its start, there’s been an outpouring of support from parents and students.
“Black is beautiful, Black is intelligent," Jones said. “We are self-sufficient. In today's climate, it’s more important that we come together and stick together.”
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