For over 400 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were the main source of higher education for black people, aiding the African American race as they overcame the perils of slavery and segregation to attain full citizenship. It was at HBCUs that Black leaders were cultivated, educated, and groomed, each generation preparing the next to guide the race from oppression to equality.
It would seem after centuries of social change and triumph, these universities may be perceived as obsolete and no longer needed, leading many to ask the question, “Now that America is an integrated society and African Americans can attend traditional universities, why do Historically Black Colleges and Universities still exist?” However, to the over 400,000 students enrolling every year, their purpose is more relevant now than when they were founded. One of those students is Polite Stewart, Jr., a 15 year old prodigy who turned down offers from Harvard, Princeton and Yale to attend Southern University A&M in Baton Rouge, LA.
Nerjyzed Films sets out to finally put to rest the question of relevance and importance of these historic institutions. Through the perspective of a newly enrolled HBCU freshman whose intellectual capacity is thought by many to exceed the capabilities of these institutions, “Historically Black” will chronicle the story of HBCUs, both present and past and finally answer the question of their relevance within the 21st Century.
