Column: Bringing HBCU Activities to a PWI Campus

The debate involving Black students attending PWIs has been a long one that gets sparked up every couple of months. This time, it was brought up after a young woman at The University of California started her own majorette dance team on campus. 

An important part of understanding this debate is understanding exactly what a PWI is compared to an HBCU. PWI is an acronym for a “Predominantly White Institution.” A close-to-home example would be the branches of the University of South Carolina. 

HBCU is an acronym for a “Historically Black College or University.” HBCUs were created by black people due to restricted access to white colleges. 

Usually, majorette dance teams are on HBCU campuses and if not, then they’re based in Black communities. Princess Isis Lang —brought a majorette team to her PWI and like any person who’s proud of their work in this day in age, the posted it on her Twitter and was met with a range of different reactions. 

The reactions varied among Black people. Some were focused on the possibility of Black traditions eventually allowing non-Black people to join, others said, “if you want Black experiences, you should’ve gone to a Black college.” 

To me, telling Black students that they don’t deserve to experience college while embracing their culture because they didn’t attend an HBCU causes an unnecessary rift. 

Anywhere we go, the culture will follow. It’s common for campuses to have groups for Black people to find a safe space; if there isn’t one already, there will likely be students who need it.