So lured was April Maxwell by the promise of the black college experience, with its distinct traditions and tight-knit campus life, that she enrolled at Hampton University in 2001 without even visiting the waterfront campus.
Instead, “I felt like I was the only gay person on campus — it seemed like nobody was really out,” said Maxwell, now 24.
“You’ve got to recognize the history of HBCUs,” said Larry Curtis, vice president for student affairs at Norfolk State University, where students recently formed a gay-straight alliance. “Most of them were founded by religious organizations.”
The State Of . . . Gays at HBCU’s. Times are a changin’. I (rich) was talking with a relative of mine who is an OB/GYN in Memphis and she told me of a conversation she had with two Morehouse men who practiced in her hospital. They told her of a social event they had for incoming freshman of Morehouse. The two Morehouse men were disappointed that the students who were gay were so openly gay. I must say I share this concern. Although, I honestly feel that it is wrong to discriminate negatively against homosexuals, I wonder aloud about how the College will be perceived in the future if this trend continues.
On a similar note, I read an article about the recent violent attack against a student at Morehouse by his fellow classmates. Outgoing President Dr. Massey commented that they will be looking to institute interviews for all perspective applicants to the school. This is a practice similar to the interviews done for Harvard and other Ivy League schools. Upon reading this, I thought that having interviews is one way that may help weed out not only unsavory individuals but also those who are gay or “too” gay. I’m not naive enough to think that many brothers will exercise this option. Is it right? Is it wrong? More importantly, would you do it when the time comes?
