In honor of National HBCU Week (Sept. 7-14), this month's community spotlight focuses on some of the HBCU alumni on the Brookwood staff. I sat down with Dr. Karen Dickens, one of our Gifted Chemistry teachers, and Mr. Archie Berry, one of our 9th-grade assistant principals, to discuss their experiences at their alma maters and their thoughts on HBCUs in the present day.
Dr. Dickens (above) received her undergraduate degree from Howard University. She comes from a family of HBCU grads, as her siblings also went to Howard, and their parents graduated from historically black universities. Her decision to go to Howard was deeply personal, as she "wanted to be in an environment with other ambitious, smart, African-Americans like [herself]." It gave her a sense of pride and empowerment to learn about our culture and history as Black people, which she attributes to "learning who [she] was [and] being around other people, seeing what they could do, and they looked just like me."
Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Dickens recalls going to high school amidst the busing during the civil rights movement, wherein Black students were taken beyond their local public schools to better-funded, predominantly-white schools as schools were integrated. As a self-described "lifelong learner" from an area severely lacking in diversity, going to Howard, Dickens says, was integral to understanding herself and her potential as a Black person. The first class she took was an African and African-American history class, which exposed her to achievements and accomplishments that deeply fascinated her. "Nobody teaches you that," Dickens notes, demonstrating the inimitable experience of an Afrocentric education.
For students weighing HBCUs against other options, the sense of community and confidence she gained in her experiences should be noted as a unique and significant benefit of choosing an HBCU.
Mr. Berry (above) did not have a traditional journey in his path to FAMU. Being from Miami, he craved new experiences beyond the state of Florida after high school. As a result, his college journey began at Defiance College in Ohio, where he played football. The cold of Ohio winters eventually weighed out his desire to be away from home, and Berry decided to transfer to FAMU after his first year at Defiance. Rather than transfer directly, he completed his Associate of Arts degree at Tallahassee Community College to ensure all his transfer credits would be taken at FAMU.
Mr. Berry completed both his graduate and undergraduate education at FAMU. He especially appreciated the professors, who made students feel like they were "more than just a number" to their professors. Throughout his experiences as an intern and student teacher, he felt that his professors and advisors were "interested in ensuring [his] success." FAMU was and is still known for its programs for Education majors. According to Mr. Berry, intensive hands-on training prepared him both for his career as an educator and his graduate degree.
For students considering HBCUs, Mr. Berry emphasizes the importance of finding the right HBCU for you. Do your research to make sure the school has "the right locations, the right programs that you’re interested in, the right people" rather than "going to an HBCU just to go to an HBCU." Mr. Berry fondly recalled his time at FAMU as a "great experience" that he would highly recommend to all Black students, regardless of which HBCU they attend.
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