Debunking Myths About College
Many parents and students come to T.S.K. with the notion that College Education is not worth the money it costs. It has become a lower middle class, “Woke” idea that college is a scam and that students are wasting time and funding on training that will lead them to permanent employment and without the tools for entrepreneurship and independence.
Unfortunately, this belief falls in line with the experiences of many real life stories in our communities. Yet, the idea and the sadly misguided journeys of many, are part of a legacy of misinformation and misunderstandings that has been passed on from generation to generation in pursuit of a solution to a number of issues in our community. We could spend a lifetime breaking down the dynamics and casualties of these issues.
Today, I would like to list my 5 top miscommunications that have led these parents and students to a jaded conclusion that leaves families using poor judgment when making decisions regarding the pursuit on non-pursuit of a college degree.
You will make more money if you have a trade instead of a 4 year degree.
This is true for an elite number of people who get out there and do the darn thing. However, according to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education; African-American women with degrees are financially better off than our brothers yet; “African-American men with a bachelor's degree or higher still earn on average nearly double the income of black men with a high school diploma.” (2005). According to an article designed to encourage trade training, 7 reasons to consider trade school over a 4-year college, “On average, a trade school graduate will make about $42,000 per year. Over the course of thirty years, the difference between that graduate and the four-year college graduate is only $90,000.” Draw your own conclusions.
College is overpriced.
While yes there are many overpriced college opportunities, this statement is rendered an untruth by simple research. Many times we just aren’t educated. Most states offer some type of financial support that does not have to be paid back by the student, especially if that student has been encouraged to prepare for college by earning college worth grades and taking the appropriate tests. Unfortunately, according to the Post Secondary National Institute’s Black Student fact sheet; Black students account for only 12% of local public colleges while making up almost 30% of the (Personal opinion- scamlike) Private For-Profit institutions(PNPI.org). Racist, biased propaganda and exclusionary practices in many schools leave Black students uneducated about their options.
College education does not serve the African Liberation Moment.
Can the college experience be damning to the awakened Afrikan consciousness, definitely! Can corporatization and individualism taught in many career paths kill the Afrikan spirituality and enculturation we as parents have worked so hard to instill, Hell yeah! However we can not validate the premise as truth because there are so many other realities. Many students find their righteous Afrikan Minds at 4 year institutions, especially those who were not blessed with Afrikanized schooling or parenting before or during high school. Also, many of our greatest historians have documented the hidden knowledge they unearthed during deep dives at PWI’s in the past. Today, many colleges and universities have programs of study focused on the study of Afrikan people, including Howard University, Winston Salem State University, and Claflin; all HBCU Institutions. The power of cultivating this knowledge ourselves is inexplicably important.
General education courses teach useless information
I’m an educator, a mother and a Black Nationalist so I am very, very biased! My truth, (and yours if you choose to embrace it). THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS USELESS INFORMATION!!! As Afrikan people, as the children of enslaved people, as a political minority in this country; however you choose to see yourself or your situation; we can not deny that we are in a situation that needs ALL the information we can gather to order our steps. This is probably the most infuriating lie for me. To hear a student say “My mama (baba) said I won’t need this information in “Real Life”. The oppression, subjugation, second class status of Black/Brown folk in America is our “REAL LIFE”. We don’t have a way out yet, it is still being cultivated, therefore we can not afford to leave any tools on the table. Maybe the information won’t secure you a 6 figure job but it might save your brothers or sister on the battlefield. You don’t know! Math is used to build physical and theoretical strategies. Language skills are used to effectively communicate. History-Social Studies (can’t say enough about this one) is our road map for what has worked and what hasn’t so we don’t waste time repeating past lessons.
Science, I saved this for last because I had a parent tell me, “He really doesn't need biology, he’s going to be a mechanic.” There is no culture in the world that can mature without basic knowledge of the sciences but most of all Biology- it is the study of LIFE. Your grandma was a biology major, that's why the tea she put on your wounds worked. Granny’s hoodoo worked not because she was a witch but she was a student who understood the power of knowledge and her ancestors took all types of risk to their own life to instill in her the importance of INFORMATION.
You must choose- College or Trade.
This lie kills generations in our communities. Confronting out situations on all fronts is a key component to liberation. The great debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, as history has told it, is “What is our best strategy for fighting oppression?” I mean that’s the whole point of anything we do for oppressed people, let’s not lose focus on that point! I contend that this debate itself is flawed. Making sure that young people who have a strong and in demand trade are well educated in the political working of industry and business and well versed in societal functions is as necessary as making sure college educated students are able to implement ingenuity, strategy, personal investment and physicality to enhance the productivity of their skillset. BALANCE!!! We need both, while focusing on your greatest asset, students who obtain 4 year or higher degrees as well as solidify command of a trade have the opportunity to supersede many of the obstacles and pitfalls that have plagued individuals that limit their options.
I know, I'm long winded. I have given you more than enough to think about before your next big family reunion debate session! Let’s keep talking and building relationships where education and enlightenment dominate!
Written By Aynda M. Kanyama-Jackson