This fall, a peculiar certainty will collide with a frightening unknown and catch up all of America’s historically black colleges and universities in its wake — Donald Trump’s presidency and the shrinking likelihood of a coronavirus vaccine. Both will dramatically impact the 100 black colleges and universities mostly scattered throughout the south, in states where economics and public health are in a knife fight for the high stakes of future sustainability.
Brandon makes a good point about vaccines... vaccines were never meant to be hastily concocted the way that companies and labs are racing to try to find a coronavirus cure... the most effective (and safest) vaccines have come about through exhaustive testing and trial and error.
Having said that, the only possible obstacle to HBCUs opening back up to appeal to the administration's "economic recovery" narrative is the black community's skepticism in uncertain times such as these. I've had a lot of black folks stop me on the street and tell me that the government is pushing for reopening only because COVID-19 "hits black communities harder," and that this is all a "plot to thin out the community." Students might be eager to return, but in many cases parents and grandparents are the ones who make the final call. if schools reopen, there also needs to be a marketing campaign to reassure families that returning is safe.
Right on! Those who subscribe to mainstream fear mongering media forgot that the goal was to flatten the curve, because eliminating the curve was impossible. This virus will still be circulating beyond 2021 nationwide. A vaccine is anywhere from 6 to 2yrs away and may only be partially effective and have side effects.
Schools should implement safety and quarantine protocols and cleansing measures to slow the spread, but this is the new sad reality and life must go on. See y’all at homecoming, I’ll be the guy wearing a space helmet and a scuba tank...
Brandon makes a good point about vaccines... vaccines were never meant to be hastily concocted the way that companies and labs are racing to try to find a coronavirus cure... the most effective (and safest) vaccines have come about through exhaustive testing and trial and error.
Having said that, the only possible obstacle to HBCUs opening back up to appeal to the administration's "economic recovery" narrative is the black community's skepticism in uncertain times such as these. I've had a lot of black folks stop me on the street and tell me that the government is pushing for reopening only because COVID-19 "hits black communities harder," and that this is all a "plot to thin out the community." Students might be eager to return, but in many cases parents and grandparents are the ones who make the final call. if schools reopen, there also needs to be a marketing campaign to reassure families that returning is safe.
Right on! Those who subscribe to mainstream fear mongering media forgot that the goal was to flatten the curve, because eliminating the curve was impossible. This virus will still be circulating beyond 2021 nationwide. A vaccine is anywhere from 6 to 2yrs away and may only be partially effective and have side effects.
Schools should implement safety and quarantine protocols and cleansing measures to slow the spread, but this is the new sad reality and life must go on. See y’all at homecoming, I’ll be the guy wearing a space helmet and a scuba tank...