Dear HBCU Graduates,
As we stand at the dawn of the most consequential presidential election in American history, I must confess that I am deeply concerned about the future of American democracy in general and the implications of the election outcomes for Black people and other historically marginalized groups. As someone who grew up in the Arkansas Delta during America’s apartheid era, I experienced firsthand the emotional and physical pains of systemic racism, abject poverty, and political disenfranchisement sanctioned by local, state, and appellate courts—even the United States Supreme Court.
As we stand at the dawn of a national American election where racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, and isolationism are normalized, my soul looks back and wonders how we got to this place at this time. Like many people from marginalized backgrounds, I know the answer is inextricably rooted in the immutable vestiges of racism, which have infected the social genes of too many Americans. Even so, I still have the hope, belief, and confidence that we have the power to change the trajectory of American democracy, but only if we have the will to fight back long after the will to do so has begun to wane.
Dr. Charlie Nelms
As we stand at the dawn of the 2024 presidential election, I know firsthand the potential and persuasive power of Black voters and their allies in forging a path where no others have ever trod. African American history is replete with examples of where we not only fought back but won major legal concessions that eased the pain and suffering endured by those on whose shoulders we stand. Today, we must capitalize on those gains by going to the polls and voting for candidates who are most inclined to support an agenda of racial and gender equity.
Historically, HBCU students and alumni have played a pivotal role in securing the civil rights of not only Black people, but of all marginalized Americans. Even the briefest foray into history reveals the monumental leadership role students at HBCUs played in various social action movements, including lunch counter sit-ins and voter registration campaigns throughout the South, the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNNC), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and relentless protests to end the Vietnam war, and divestments in South Africa, which led to the end of apartheid, among other outcomes. Thanks to the active engagement and voter turnout of college students of all races, ethnicities, genders, and social classes, Barack Hussien Obama, was elected America’s first Black president of the United States of America in 2008 and reelected for a second term in 2012.
Over the last several years, we have witnessed firsthand the chilling effects of legislative actions and court decisions to outlaw efforts designed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education and in the workplace. The war on DEI is being well documented. According to recent figures, 32 states have been affected by anti-DEI legislation. Eighty-six anti-DEI bills have been introduced, 14 have final legislative approval, 14 have become law, and 54 have been tabled, failed to pass, or vetoed. In 10 states, anti-DEI legislation has been signed into law, with Iowa’s considered the most extreme. Iowa’s legislation doesn’t just ban DEI offices; it goes on to restrict the topics on which an institution may take a position, a list that includes “social justice” and “antiracism.” Other bills range from those that defund higher education DEI offices and staff, restrict diversity statements and training, and ban identity-based preferences in hiring and admissions. It is clear that the 2023 U. S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting the use of race in making college admission decisions appears to have emboldened those who subscribe to the false narrative of a “color-blind” American meritocracy. The defunding of DEI offices and staff in Florida, Alabama, and New Mexico, for example, provide a glimpse, if left unchallenged, into what the future holds after more than six decades of tireless efforts to foster equity and diversity, not only in the academy, but in all spheres of American life.
I write today, first, to encourage all HBCU graduates to exercise their civic right to vote. Whether we vote or not, there are accompanying consequences associated with our decision. Secondly, I write to encourage you to honor the memory and legacy of our ancestors and others who paved the way and paid the price for us to be able to vote. Third, I implore you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot, those you believe are most likely to support causes and issues that address the needs of historically disenfranchised people. As you weigh your options in whatever race, I encourage you to consider the record of the candidate, and not their rhetoric.
Democracy is a noble, fragile experiment, and now it is on the ballot. Lives were sacrificed to ensure our right to vote, in our quest to form a more perfect union. When we vote, we honor those lives and carry on this quest. Please vote!
Dr. Charlie Nelms is a veteran higher education administrator and chancellor emeritus of North Carolina Central University.
