Marybeth GasmanUniversity of Pennsylvania professor Marybeth Gasman explores issues of access and retention for students and faculty of color and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, among other things.OpinionBlack History is American HistoryThis past week, I made a guest visit (via Skype) in Professor Lori Patton Davis’ History of American Higher Education course at the University of Denver. I was asked to talk about an article that I recently wrote on stereotypes of Black college presidents. The article focuses on the origins of these stereotypes and illuminates […]February 19, 2011OpinionMartin Luther King Jr. and Love“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” — Martin Luther King Jr. We often remember Martin Luther King Jr. as someone who urged peace, even gave his life for it. We remember him as someone who marched with others to make vast and unparalleled […]January 15, 2011OpinionRespecting Race-Based ResearchI do research about race. When I was a graduate student, a professor warned me against doing this research, noting, “you’ll be ghettoized for studying Black colleges.” Although I ignored the comment, I knew what he was saying. Based on how faculty members who do research on race are often treated by their colleagues, he […]December 14, 2010OpinionDeveloping a Research AgendaYoung people pursuing graduate study often ask me how I developed my research agenda. They wonder how one carves out an area of research. For those of you who read this blog often, you know that the majority of my work focuses on historically Black colleges and universities and students of color. Recently, I was […]November 28, 2010OpinionGuess Who’s Coming to Lunch?Last week, I sat down to have what I thought would be a pleasant lunch with someone I had talked on the phone with quite a few times. I’d never met her but we had developed a good professional rapport. Our conversation was moving along fine — we both exchanged some of our personal background […]November 17, 2010OpinionWhat Can HBCUs Teach all Colleges and Universities?Note: This blog post is co-authored with Dorsey Spencer Jr., who serves as assistant director of campus activities and programs at Bucknell University. Harvard and Howard. Smith and Spelman. Wabash and Morehouse. Columbia Law and North Carolina Central Law. One could say that these institutions of higher education are not comparable. In these pairs, one […]November 3, 2010OpinionAn Open Letter to HBCU Students and AlumniIn recent weeks, conservative thinkers and writers have been attacking HBCUs. What’s new you might ask? Attacking HBCUs is definitely not new, but, in the current oppressive racial climate of the United States, the stakes are getting higher. Those who see increases in minority populations and more people of color in leadership positions are not […]October 27, 2010OpinionInnovative Curricula at HBCUs: Goats, Fish and Farmer’s MarketsOne of my favorite parts of being a professor and doing research related to HBCUs is that I often get to visit these historic institutions. I am often amazed by some of the unique programs taking place on HBCU campuses. There are three programs, in particular, that are interesting and progressive in their approach that […]October 4, 2010OpinionHBCUs and Real World EmploymentPresident Obama declared this week Historically Black College and University Week. Along with this declaration came a three-day conference focused on Black colleges—their contributions to society as well as the challenges they face in the coming decades. The program was quite different than in years past, with a focus on graduation and retention, online degree […]September 15, 2010OpinionSpelman College: A Model for Engaging Alumnae (and Alumni)In 2010, Spelman College celebrated its highest alumnae giving numbers in the institution’s history — 39 percent. This figure is up from 31 percent in 2009. A giving percentage at this level is the envy of colleges and universities across the country regardless of their institution’s racial history. In order to reach 39 percent, Spelman […]August 26, 2010Previous PagePage 4 of 11Next Page