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Quick Thread: I’m on my way to Norfolk State for a Graduate Fair (It’s today from 11-2pm at the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library if any students come by this thread) and I’ve got some feelings about this GLADD dustup that Bernie missed to attend Bennett College to speak with students
First, let me admit my bias, part of what I do for a living is recruit students to attend graduate school. I personally like to focus on underrepresented minorities and poor/working class people. Mainly because as poor people we aren’t aware of the many assistantships, etc
There are soooo many graduate programs out there that offer full tuition, pay stipends, and cover health insurance for graduate students. Yes, those getting their MA, MS, and PhD. Hit me up if you’ve got questions on that. Anywho my concerns 👇🏽
It doesn’t seem like Bernie could have won either way with the decision to attend a GLADD sponsored event or gone to Bennett.
J/K he totally could have skipped out with any issue. Why? Because Bennett has been in the news for over a year now about their funding and since it’s not a major HBCU like Spellman, Howard or Morehouse it’s been ignored. Like, the struggle to keep their accreditation was real.
It’s been reported but if you don’t live in that world you wouldn’t know about a small all women HBCU in tiny little Greensboro, NC I subscribe to all these Higher Ed chronicles and newspapers, so I know what’s up. chronicle.com/article/Despit…
I don’t think many of you know how much of a boost it was for the students and community to have Bennett in the news. The students were able to engage with and talk to Bernie. I confess, I attend their Grad Fair every year to recruit their students so this is personal for me.
Bennett College has been around since the 1800’s and is an HBCU that, in the early 1900’s became an ALL WOMEN College. This was vital. bennett.edu/about/history/
So Bernie skipped a major sponsored GLADD event to attended an HBCU for black women. One that’s been struggling for funding and in accreditation. Note his 40yr history within the LGBT community and get back to Bennett. I’m not driving so I got time, bless my coworker for driving
If you lose accreditation as a university, you lose federal funding. The students that attened Bennett College aren’t well off, rich folks. They’re black women from poor and working class families. See how his focus on class matters to black people? insidehighered.com/news/2019/02/2…
Damnit man, this thread is not quick. My bad ya’ll. I’m in my feelings on this one. I know every candidate won’t make every event and they all do the best they can. It’s be nice if we could focus on the events and people involved, rather than the horse race.
It’s something about this issue that bothers me. Because black women have THE highest amount of student debt than any other race. Speaking to class struggles while atteneding a women’s HBCU intersects his policies. google.com/amp/s/www.news…
It’s real outchea and while the elite (yes, even the black elite) are creating a narrative to smear Sanders, real poor people catch the fall back of whatever comes from this. google.com/amp/s/www.blac…
I appreciate Sen Sanders for doing a college tour and adding an HBCU that is in need of funding and national recognition. President hopefuls don’t attend the smaller HBCU’s that help so many black people attain a higher ed degree. I’m so happy he did. wfmynews2.com/mobile/article…
This is why erasing student debt and making college free is personal for me. It helps with the racial wealth gap. It helps lift so many black people out of poverty. I also work in higher ed so yeah, it’s very personal for me.
So rather than use him not attending the GLADD event as a smear, understand that all candidates can’t attend all events and find out where they went instead and why. There are LGBT black women at Bennett than appreciated his attendance. I’d know since I know these women.
