Maryland’s four historically black universities accused state officials in federal court Tuesday of perpetuating racial segregation by underfunding their programs by more than $1 billion over a 19-year period, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The lawsuit filed by alumni and students from Morgan State, Coppin State, Bowie State, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore demands that state lawmakers and education officials pay up to help make the schools more competitive with traditional white colleges.
In opening arguments Tuesday in Baltimore’s U.S. District Court, attorney Michael D. Jones, who represents the black schools, declared that “Maryland has not eradicated the vestiges of segregation” because the state failed in its obligation to provide adequate access and opportunities to low-income families.
As a result, he said, libraries, labs, and other programs were severely underfunded while money was wasted on programs at other colleges that duplicated those offered by the state’s predominantly black universities.
Specifically, Jones cited a period from 1990 through 2009 in which he said the black colleges should have received an additional $644 million in general state appropriations and another $450 million to help low-income students.
According to the Sun, the case has drawn the attention nationwide of legal advocates for historically black institutions because of its implications for federal enforcement of laws designed to ensure equality in higher education.
“For Maryland,” the Sun reported, “it revives decades-old questions of whether the state has done enough to support and protect its historically black institutions.”
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9 comments:
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My first problem with this is that there are no "Historically White Colleges" and there should be no college out there with a color or race name period. After all, didn't we pass the segregation barrier back in the early 60's? And if you are a college who wants to be an all black college you should be disqualified from all outside public funding at all.
After that, I've not got a problem!
Hm. I would like to see how many of the funding offers these colleges applied for and the criteria to receive all of or partial funding. They can't expect to receive money just for being a historically black college. And 6:13.. pretty much ALL colleges are historically white, seeing as though education used to only be offered to whites.
Here we go again. Let's pull the race card! That's all this amounts to and I'm sick of it!
There is funding that only goes to black colleges! The other colleges are not even eligible for it because it's put aside only for the black colleges!
I believe you touched on this a year or so ago Joe and I think maybe that all needs to be brought back to the forefront.
Yes, Salisbury University is constantly building, but where's the money coming from? I believe it's PRIVATE money paying for most of that building! It's not government money!
Perdue building at SU, hmm wonder where that money came from huh ? If you want more money UMES, check your Dean's pocket I heard she likes to scrape some off the top.
How long do we continue to give and how much do we continue to give (actually, get TAKEN fom us in taxes) before we say "okay, it's time to EARN your way in the world and make it on your merits, not the color of your skin"? Since 1963, almost FIFTY YEARS, we have spent TRILLIONS of dollars on housing, food, medical expenses, child care, and yes, education. That DOES NOT include all the private charity donations and aid. And black Americans STILL cry "we need MORE"....TRILLIONS!!! And their plight, in many respects, is WORSE then it was 30 years ago. It CAN'T all be the fault of "discrimination" and lingering "slave" influences. It may not be politically correct to say it, but when will black Americans be expected to actually take care of themselves, instead of waiting for white America to do it for them? And before you pious apologists begin, that IS a legitimate question, not a racial attack.
Graduated from both UMES and SU, UMES was a joke, high school level work and kids getting pushed through.
The commencement address by the speaker at UMES had to be one of the most racial speeches I ever heard. I would not recommend anyone black or white to attend that school. It was a sad experience.
And is it not idiotic to say, "hey you guys are discriminating against historically black colleges." Is it not discriminating itself to call them HBCU's? There are no designated HWCU's because that would be the end of the world I suppose. To say that all education institutions are presumed white is pretty disciminatory in itself.
UMES had lots of money sent their way that they've wasted.
I used to work there and personally know of at least $100K worth of equipment they received for a student radio station that went to waste because the person in charge of the project was incompetent.
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