I LOVE My HBCU! What about you?

Is it just me, or do you feel like those things that recently occurred before coronavirus, seem like a long time ago? This Remarkable Thing happened for me during the 2020 Alcorn State University Mid-Winter Conference held in Birmingham, AL (February 27 – March 1, 2020). I had the distinct honor of serving as one of three keynote speakers during the conference gala. It was indeed a Remarkable Experience for me to serve in this capacity.

During my remarks, I talked about the importance of Supporting the Legacy by Investing in the Future. Little did I know that those words are even more important now than ever as we navigate this pandemic. Because if we don’t support our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), I am not sure how a small portion of them will survive. It is imperative that we give more, get up and do more, and go tell others about how the HBCU experience impacted our lives. Without the legacy of our nation’s HBCUs, we would not have the African American middle class.

As I move into week seven of my stay home order, many of our states have started developing plans and or executing those plans to reopen our economy. I believe that it is critical that we discern and decide how to move forward in the best interest of safety first, and preserving not only our HBCUs, but our churches and small businesses. According to Hosea 4:6, My people are destroyed because you have rejected knowledge… Therefore, I ask each of you to respect each other by social distancing, recommit to supporting our HBCUs, reaffirm the value of our small businesses and their economic impact, and lastly, revolutionize how we worship and serve the Lord in our churches. Consequently, if the pandemic has had a disastrous impact on our national economy, then we know it can be catastrophic for several of our major pillars within the African American community.

Looking back on that Alcorn State University Mid-Winter Conference weekend, I connected with one of my best friends, saw classmates, line sisters and administrators I hadn’t seen in years, and I renewed my love and support for my favorite HBCU. I love my HBCU! What about you?

Dr. ReShone