In addition to the classroom, it also provides a cultural experience for Black folks to interact with their people. A lot of people who have attended HBCUs have a sense of pride in their experience there. Most alumni and others would agree those schools stand and represent Black excellence.
For the most part, these sentiments still stand, however some of those schools have moved to be more inclusive of other races. In 2021, it was reported that 25 percent of enrollment included non-Black students.
With that said, it is only natural that those students will eventually get involved in campus activities. Regardless of those circumstances, some of those students and schools face backlash when that reality has come to the surface. More specifically, the crowning of a non-Black homecoming queen at one of the schools.
In 2023, Keylin Perez became the first Latina to be crowned Miss Coppin State University in Baltimore. Her crowning came with some criticism from people on social media who questioned how a non-Black person can be the queen of a Black school.
Following a viral TikTok video, Perez received backlash, including harassment, from online critics who believed that the crown should be given to a Black woman. Perez who is of Guatemalan descent spoke about feeling comfortable at the university. “When I came to Coppin, I truly felt welcomed,” Perez said. “They pushed me, they inspired me and I felt like when I came to their orientations, I found everything that I’ve always wanted in a university.”
Despite the criticism, Perez has received support from people on social media and among her peers. Justin Evans, 23, who is president of Coppin’s student government association, said Perez “has our full support.”
Meanwhile, Jawaad Williams, 20, who is Mister Junior at Coppin, said he thinks “sometimes people just get wrapped up in the idea like an HBCU is just Black people only and nobody else is allowed to go to the school.”
What do you think, is it wrong or unfair for a non-Black student to assume a role or title that represents an HBCU?