nationwide school walkouts for gun control 3/14/18 10 A.M. meeting at front lawn
Black panther review special feature see page 9 see page 6 and 7 Fremont High School
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PHOENIX
Vol. 6 Issue No. 5 March 9, 2019
African American students attend BCA by Michelle Cortez Staff Writer
On February 10, a group of African American students from Fremont High School attended the Black College Awareness (BCA) Fair at Stanford University held by the Black Student Union (BSU) and organized by Guidance Counselor Dan Amezquita. Fremont High School was one of many high schools that were represented at this college fair, with over a hundred students from other schools attending as well. The goal of the college fair was to encourage Black high school students to attend African American higher education programs. The theme for this year’s BSU youth empowerment college fair was B.L.A.C.K., which stands for “Building Leaders and Cultivating Knowledge”. The program assures its
youth that although there may be problems outside of the classroom whether it be racial issues or the hardship of being a person of color, education and a student’s success should always be the goal for higher education programs. The B.L.A.C.K college fair mainly focused on encouraging students to apply for and consider historically black colleges. There were many motivational speakers and a panel of college admissions officers from these colleges. At the end of the presentations, there was a raffle for a free college tour of Howard University, the first all-Black university in the United States. To the group’s surprise, the raffle was won by Fremont’s very own junior, Keyondre Long. Fremont High School football coach and math teacher Nelson Gifford also attended the college fair
with the various Fremont students. “A lot of students walked away excited about their education,” Gifford said. “I think some of them saw themselves in higher education.” There are 101 historically black colleges and universities in the United States and some of the colleges being promoted in the program were Howard University, Spelman College and Hampton University. These colleges were established as a response to segregation policies in the past, which prohibited African Americans from attending many colleges and universities in America. While the segregating policies which gave rise to historically black colleges are no longer in practice, the colleges are still an invaluable resource for many African American students.
THE Fremont students and teachers who attended the conference posing for a group photo
SCEDRICK Tippins smiling at the camera at the Stanford Convention
“I think it is just important to be aware of educational options,” Gifford said. “These particular colleges are important to African American students from both a historical standpoint an educational one. These schools can open up a window of opportunities which is what education is all about.” Latanya Lee was one of the many students who attended the gathering at Stanford. Although she was nervous at first, she was excited to be in a completely different environment than what she is used to. As a junior, the topic of which college she is planning on attending is very important to her and Lee gained invaluable information and a larger perspective about college from the fair. “When we talked about college,” Lee said. “It hit me hard knowing that I am go-
ing to apply for colleges next year and that I am slowly becoming independent”. BSU’s purpose was to expose African American students to the various academic options they have after their high school career. “I did know that there were single race schools at first,” Lee said. “But after going on the field trip, I have gained more knowledge on college and all black schools and I am very interested in it. It was a really good experience and it made me more excited about my future,” Lee said. Along with stress from transitioning into the independence that comes with college, some students face obstacles in navigating traditional paths to higher education. Generally, first-generation students have a more difficult time navigating the application and admissions processes
for colleges because they have less guidance. Studies like those done by Paul Pitre and Charisse Pitre 2009 find that minorities like African Americans are disproportionately more likely to be first-generation college students because of historical practices, which barred them from higher education. “It’s a heavy thing to be black in America, and going to a black college is the only time you don’t have to think about race,” Gifford said. From start to finish, the BCA fair attempted to inspire African American students to pursue higher education in historically Black colleges. “It was about them, about the school, and about their future,” Gifford said. “The conference allowed them to be the focus of the day where, in other places, they were not the focus.”
FREMONT student Keyondre Long with the organizers of the conference after he won a raffle for an allexpense paid tour of Howard College
NYA Kiele, Kiyah White, Latanya Lee sitting on a curb at Stanford University
WARREN Locksey asking a question to the presenters
Emer Martin | The Phoenix