Since January 20th, the political landscape of the United States has witnessed a seismic shift. The 45th President of the United States has removed the White House webpage’s promise to tackle issues related to LGBTQ and civil rights, complicated relations with many nations across the world, presented false national intelligence regarding international anti-American terrorists organizations, scapegoated undocumented immigrants by ordering that the Department of Homeland Security present weekly reports on the alleged criminal activity of this population, and appointed a Secretary of Education that is thought by many to be vastly unqualified to oversee our educational system.
Trump’s actions have been met with unprecedented opposition as young people have stood firmly in solidarity and protest. Since the 2017 presidential inauguration, the Women’s March on Washington has boasted the biggest one-day protest in US history, thousands of university students have protested on campuses across the nation, the world has cried out against imposed and proposed foreign and domestic policies, activists have rallied at airports around the nation, and five Howard University students were arrested on Capitol Hill as they protested Trump’s nomination for the historically racist former Alabama senator Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General.
The past months have clearly illustrated that the actions and policies imposed within the last month have imbued a new generation of leaders to take up the mantle of action. At present, there is an urgent need for leaderless movements to continue to coalesce into united fronts, for protest posters to turn into policy platforms, and for young activists to consider candidacy for local and state offices. In the four years ahead, we must look to existing social and political change-agents while simultaneously allowing space for the next generation’s activists, as well.
As we create such spaces, colleges and universities will be an integral breeding ground for burgeoning leadership. It is in such spaces of ingenuity, innovation, and diversity of thought that we will continue to witness the inception of a new generation of justice-oriented leaders. We would be remiss if we did not look for templates of leadership from institutions of higher education that have been in the business of social equity for nearly two centuries- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Established in a shameful era of inequality within American history, HBCUs were born out of the need to create opportunities and equality for African Americans. They have traditionally integrated a passion for social activism and understanding of civil rights into their students and the surrounding communities. Many HBCUs’ curricula have inspired and resulted in national social progress. Providing curricula that speak truth to power, HBCUs have long served as incubators for fearless national and international leaders. Such luminaries have held the U.S. accountable to its promise of liberty and justice for all, while remaining rooted in action and the realization of equal rights for the country’s historically marginalized. The halls of these great institutions hold rich legacies – legacies such as Martin Luther King, Jr (Morehouse College), Diane Nash (Fisk University), Medgar Evers (Alcorn State University), Rosa Parks (Alabama State University), Stokely Carmichael (Howard University) and Philip Agnew (Florida A&M University).
Today, these institutions can continue to encourage political engagement and accountability. They can do so by encouraging actions such as progressive cross-campus dialogue, teaching the strategies and methods of historical political and social movements, organizing letter writing and phone campaigns to express concerns to local and state political representatives, and creating voting campaigns that teach about voter rights while also allowing easy access to voting sites. The political landscape of our country is uncertain. As such, it is especially imperative that HBCUs continue to empower and embolden their students to serve as leaders of change, truth, and social justice.
The faculty, staff, and student bodies of our great institutions must continue to harken upon the example of educators such as Charles Hamilton Houston, former Dean of the Howard University School of Law, lauded as ‘The Man Who Killed Jim Crow,’ and often considered one of the most pivotal civil rights attorneys in American history. Serving as the Vice Dean and Dean of Howard University School of Law from 1929-1935, Houston urged his students to embody the philosophy that a social engineer must serve as “the mouthpiece of the weak and a sentinel guarding against wrong.” He taught that students must see themselves as “either a social engineer or a parasite on society.”
Erected on cornerstones of empowering curriculum and affirming leadership, HBCUs have long provided a beacon of hope in the darkest of American days. These institutions have built leaders who champion our nation’s fight against systemic and systematic injustices. HBCUs must remain vigilant as they educate and train individuals that will positively shape our community, nation, and world.