There are 90 four-year historically Black Colleges and Universities – and Eleise Richards has visited them all.
The Irvington, New Jersey, native’s adventure began three years ago while hosting events through Experience the Legacy HBCU College Fair, which aims to bridge the opportunity gap for Black and brown students and combine some of the excitement of the legendary HBCU homecoming with vital information traditional college fairs provide.
Richards, a Howard University alumna, realized how ill-informed she was about HBCUs in general, from their locations to their missions — and it felt fraudulent of her to encourage others to enroll when she didn’t know so much.
“As a prideful HBCU grad,” she added, “it also irritated me that so much misinformation was out there to discourage people from even considering these schools.”
The Delta Sigma Theta member is well aware of both the potential transformative and affirming advantages of attending one of these schools and the difficulties associated with conveniently and affordably learning more about HBCU culture. She is committed to reducing those obstacles for other people.
Richards is a first-generation American, and her journey has taken her to places she otherwise would never have visited, most notably the South. She told theGrio all she knew about the states south of the Mason-Dixon line was what her friends shared, what she watched on television and heard in music. However, her experience was completely different than anything she could’ve imagined – and not in a negative way.
“I saw Black people everywhere, even in areas where I didn’t think Black people were going to be,” Richards excitedly proclaimed. “And I loved that.”
During her journey, Richards said one of her many highlights, which might “sound so weird,” was getting recognized by staff members who took her under their wing and showed her around, sharing with her the history of the institution and what they’re doing to ensure students reach their full potential.
She also cited encountering construction at over 40% of the facilities she visited as one of the journey’s high points or most unforgettable experiences.
“Construction to me is always a good sign,” said Richards, “that means money is rolling in, that means renovations are being done, that means upkeep is happening [and] that means the university is being taken care of.”
Richards admitted that although she was aware of the diversity of HBCUs, she was also among those accustomed to focusing solely on the “big name” institutions in major metropolitan cities. Her tour, however, increased her understanding of the socioeconomic factors influencing each school and her ability to connect the dots to determine why certain schools have more resources and receive greater attention than others. Either way, she contended, they’re all “doing more with less.”
“There is a lack of real information out there, and people just don’t know what they don’t know,” Richards told theGrio. “So, the biggest impact I hope I have on people is being a resource [and] being able to share with them information about HBCUs and the experience that they probably never thought about or knew.”
“I hope the impact also allows them to love and appreciate not only these institutions, but themselves, as Black people specifically even more,” she added.
Asserting that racism and race remain embedded in much of what we do, Richards urged people to keep in mind the efforts made by HBCUs to generate exceptional Black candidates and graduates with limited resources.
“No matter how many times they try to oppress, downplay, minimize, remove, erase, delete us, our contributions [and] our history,” Richards said, referencing America’s racist history, “they can’t, and it makes them mad.”
For anyone hoping to plan a similar tour, Richards has one thing to say – go for it. She expressed her desire for more people to grab a friend and visit any number of the institutions. Whatever the case, it promises to be an enlightening experience that contradicts all the criticism.
“The biggest impact I hope I have,” said Richards, “is that I help remind people just how great Black people are, have always been and will always continue to be.”
Richards emphasized the value of feeling included and valued while discussing how she believes her experiences might help raise awareness of and appreciation for HBCUs.
“No matter where I am in this world. … if I meet someone and they went to an HBCU, I have always been good,” Richards told theGrio. “I have always been taken care of, [and] treated like family.”
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