Howard’s been in the news quite a bit lately, in large part due to Kamala Harris. After Joe Biden tapped the California Senator to join him as VP on the Democratic presidential ticket, Harris talked at length about her past and specifically her time at Howard University.
Senator Harris said Howard’s reputation as a prestigious Historically Black College (HBC) provided her with a “different experience.” Prior to Howard, she attended predominantly White schools from elementary through high school. Harris went on, it’s about “you understanding that there is a whole world of people like you.”
I too went to Howard at the same time Harris was a student in the early 1980s, only I was going for my Ph.D. in sociology. My reasons were different than Harris’s. Number one. I figured I could afford Howard, and at the same time support my family. Number two. I had to enroll part-time since I was also teaching full-time at Baltimore City Community College. Nevertheless, Howard still wanted me unlike other schools in the area which lost interest once I let them know I couldn’t attend full-time. And unlike Kamala Harris, for me it was about understanding that there’s a whole world of people unlike you.
As a white male, I remember the first time I visited Howard as a student. Waiting for my picture to be taken for my plastic-coated ID card, I had to laugh. I was the only White in a gym of easily over one-thousand people, and an ID was the last thing I felt I needed. The Illtop, a Howard humor magazine sponsored by Chris Rock, captured my feelings with a piece entitled, “White Student’s Guide to Howard U.” “Your professors will know your name on the first day of class. Actually, everybody will know your name on the first day of class. Even people you haven’t met yet 😊.”
When I think back to my education at Howard, I realize how fortunate I am. Given the pedigree and interests of my professors, it’s no surprise that I decided to specialize in race and ethnic relations. For instance, one key advisor who “pushed me” through the Ph.D. program was Ralph Gomes. Professor Gomes, who came to Howard in 1971, was instrumental in creating the Ph.D. program. Surprisingly, it’s still the only Ph.D. program in sociology at an HBC.
With his wife, Dr. Gomes authored the book, From Exclusion to Inclusion: The Long Struggle for African American Political Power. Born in Guyana, I remember his course on Intergroup Relations as being an awakening for me. My professors such as G. Franklin Edwards, a protégé of E. Franklin Frazier, and Faustine Jones, Editor in Chief of The Journal of Negro Education, were living proof why Howard was known as a Mecca for Black scholars.
I owe a lot to Howard. When I introduced myself to my students at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), the fact that I was a graduate of Howard made a significant difference in their eyes. When I took on the position of Director of BCCC’s Institute for InterCultural Understanding, my background at Howard factored in. And my writing and research on the subject of diversity and race in particular invariably reflects a perspective that was deeply nourished at Howard.
When I look back at my decision to pursue a Ph.D., I could have gone most anywhere but I chose Howard. That choice has radically changed my life, and for that I am very grateful.
Links to more from Dr. Bucher:
Buy A MOMMY, A DADDY, TWO SISTERS AND A JIMMY: AUTISM AND THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES at Amazon.com
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