A Tour of Historically Black Colleges

One of two $50 donations I will making this year is to this program (and the other, though not important to this discussion, is for the Memorial Stadium improvements). As an Asian-American living in California, it is easy to understand the appeal of attending a college that is largely represented by others in your ethnicity since CSUs and UCs are within driving distance and throughout the state; it must be difficult, especially for Blacks from disadvantaged backgrounds, to tour these campuses and make the right decision.

Students Look for Inspiration on College Tour: 15 Berkeley Tech students explore black universities
By Susa Lim, Daily News Correspondent, Nov 14 06

As many high school seniors prepare their college applications for impending deadlines, students from Berkeley Technology Academy will embark Wednesday on a first-ever tour of five of the nation's historically black colleges.

Fifteen Berkeley Tech students will participate in the 18th annual Fall Black College Tour along with about 50 other high school students from around the nation. They will visit Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Oakwood College and Alabama A&M University.

Berkeley Tech principal Victor Diaz hopes the school's inaugural trip will motivate his students to make their college dreams a reality. More than half of Berkeley Tech's students are black.

"These kids have never been on a college campus before. So through this, it would change their perspective. If they see students similar to them, they will be inspired," Diaz said.

Students had to fulfill many requirements from the beginning of the school year to qualify for the trip: keep an 80 percent attendance rate without unexcused absences and a minimum 2.5 grade point average, enroll in a weekly Scholastic Aptitude Test prep course and register for the SAT.

Students raised money for the trip through weekend carwashes, after-school bake sales, raffle tickets sales and personal contributions totaling $5,600. Berkeley Public Education Foundation, a community advocacy group, donated $6,500, while the Berkeley school board approved a grant for $2,660 and principal Diaz donated $1,000. The entire five-day trip costs $15,760.

Many on the tour will be the first in their immediate family to visit a historically black college. For some, it will be their first time flying.

"I'm going to ask everyone to pray for me," said senior Brianna Williams, 17. "I've been to L.A., Disneyland, New Mexico, but we drove to those places."

Brianna, a former Berkeley High student, hopes to major in journalism at Clark Atlanta and aspires to be a novelist. She went from a 0.5 grade-point average at Berkeley High and quitting school for personal reasons to maintaining a 4.0 at Berkeley Tech. She recently took the SAT at her old school.

Senior John Howard, 17, also recently took the SAT. He said before he started Berkeley Tech this fall, he had no clue how to apply for college. The former Berkeley High student credits Berkeley Tech's smaller classes, SAT prep courses and caring counselors for his success in passing the math portion of the state high-school exit exam - after his third try - as well as his decision to enroll in college. It was the low number of black students - compared to other students in Berkeley pursuing college - that inspired him to work hard toward admissions.

"At Berkeley High, when I took the SAT, I saw the room with predominately whites and Asians, and that motivated me," John said. "We need to get more African Americans in here."

Carl Raye, 62, tour founder and a Tuskegee University graduate, agrees.

Raye organized and funded the first trip in 1987 for four male students because he felt young black males lacked the role models he had when he grew up. As someone raised during segregation, Raye noticed a steep decline in interactions between black youth and teachers of the same color since integration.

"A lot of kids don't get to see black role models, but when they go to the campus, they see a lot of students and professors that look like them," Raye said. "It builds self-confidence and lets them be proud of who they are."

Since he began guiding tours, Raye has visited universities with more than 2,000 students.