Jackson State President Ronald Mason is officially on board the campaign to merge Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State with the university he leads. His only major request is that the Mississippi Legislature give the merged institution’s administration a one-time appropriation of $10M to help with the transition.The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, sang about this type of deal when he once said: “Sold me out for chicken change.”
Mason calls for the new merged institution to be named Jacob State University in honor of H.P. Jacobs, JSU’s founder. The campuses of the state’s public HBCUs would become three constituent colleges, each with a specific focus. “Jackson College” would be the exploratory learning site. “Mississippi Valley College” would concentrate on service-learning. “Alcorn College” would be a center for remedial education.
According to Mason’s plan, Jacob State would have 13,000 undergraduates, 2,000 graduate students, and would become the nation’s top producer of black teachers and pre-professionals.
Mason failed to explain how Jacob State would accomplish those goals with a much smaller overall budget than the collective amount that currently goes to the three individual universities. Gov. Haley Barbour, who originally proposed the merger, estimated that it would save $35M over several years.
The whole concept of the merger is designed to give less money to Mississippi’s HBCUs. The merger isn’t being proposed to build up the HBCUs into a stronger state.
Numerous black legislators and HBCU supporters in Mississippi have rightly denounced the ridiculous Jacob State scam and should continue to do so. They should also call for Mason to be replaced with someone who actually gives a damn about treating HBCUs fairly.
Another shuckin & Jiving Negro...when will we be rid of them?
ReplyDeleteWow bro...
ReplyDeleteDIS IS DE WORSE SH*T I DONE HEARD OF IN YEARS. WHERE DID THEY GET THIS FIELD HAND FROM. SPIKE LEE DID A MOVIE 'BOUT THIS STYLE OF SPOOK A FEW YEARS AGO. SOMETHING BAD SHOULD HAPPEN TO THIS GUY.
ReplyDeleteSave the Civil Rights rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteMississippi is losing money like crazy. They were already broke to begin with, and as such the Gov is merging several other colleges and high school systems up and down the state. Not just the three HBCUs.
It will save dinero in admin costs, some reduction in leadership positions, and a single system of recruiting/enrolling students, etc without losing the mission of these three HBCUs. All three schools will stay open and pretty much stay with their mission of educating blackfolk, just under a new system like Southern University’s system. Oh it’s real.
To hear those neo-cons running the place tell it, you'd think that they were talking about a $2 billion dollar shortfall.
ReplyDeleteAs in Georgia and here in Florida, why aren't they talking about, or pushing the merger of public PWCs? And, I'm not hearing that "specific mission" crap either, because HBCUs ALSO have a "specific mission".
*smh*
They need to shut down half of those white colleges. Most of them are athletic plantation cesspools. The governor of Mississippi needs his ass kicked.
ReplyDeleteLike MISSISSIPPI can afford to close ANY school! Smh That's why they are in the situation in the first place. If they did right by Mississippi's citizenry, Chicago would not be such a exodous destination.
ReplyDeleteI saw a Negro like this in the Smithsonian last year during the inaguration. I thought they were extinct.
ReplyDeleteThis is not like Southern. Its what happened the late 70's and early 80's when integration was just starting to be real. Our schools were shut down and many communities have been free falling since. Which is how you think in terms of "Why and I", instead of "WE and How." And some fools are "thinking"(feeling) its all about the money surely can't have much and have devoted your life to coveting it and its gloried spoils. I know someone right now with a degree in Architecture and admits he didn't have physics. This is just after they were orderded to DO RIGHT by the people of Mississippi and the HBCU's there for the chronic institutional neglect. The money is now at best, LATE and pretty much unawarded. And DON-Civil Rights is a CURRENT movement that you are too short sighted to see. You'll just be one who was idle and effectively anti. Yea, King had poeple like you suckin up the benefits and stayin on the ray. But I love you anyway. God prevails- and he expects you to fight. Men are doers, hunters and gatherers-not capitalist pundits. All capitalism requires SLAVES and we can stand to rid ourselves of its trappings. Don't be a slave, and don't relegate someone else to such a fate, especially because you think they've justified the money. Shows you can be bought easily. We're still not freed, just from THAT era of industries. READ BROTHER. Stay WOKE
ReplyDelete***I know someone right now with a degree in Architecture and admits he didn't have physics. He is an alum from USM.*** Funny how technology isn't being applied to this situation. Smh, already touting the negative labeling to an obviously labled and marked set of sibling institutions. I know it'd be too much for those us with all this financial knowledge and concern to put in and help them out. Let alone help them become privatized. Na, that'd ironically stop you from hiding behid all that money or love and support of it.
ReplyDelete...I'm sending money to JSU online right now as a matter of fact. Definitely not in support of this.
ReplyDeleteat 6:04PM. um, yeah. Must not have much going on that you have time to write an 1000 word manifesto on a message board. Three HBCU's moving under one system, with their campuses staying open and staying black. Probably can negotiate to maintain separate athletic programs.
ReplyDeleteAnd remember, they are proposing the same thing with some of the white schools in the 'Sip as well. But don't let the facts get in your way.
While there are discussions of merging the other schools; the only schools that came under this conversation were the ones that were predominately minority. We all know of the HBCUs, but there is a women's college that is falling under this legislation. Its strange that the State of Mississippi argues that they can save the state money by merging all three HBCUs and the womens' college with one of the major pwcs. If money were the true reason behind this merger, why not merge all of the schools and treat them like the University of California system, ie UCLA; USC, UC Berkley; UC Santa Barbra; etc.
ReplyDeleteSecond point, how much money are they really going to save by merging all of these schools as compared to how much they are spending on them now. The people of Mississippi should ask to see the allocations for all of the schools, and I think the argument will be made at that point is that these schools are not receiving the funds that they need to survive anyway....so how is closing them going to save the state money long term?
HBCUS alums across the nations really needs to pay attention to this situation because if this merger goes through it will create the argument to merge other publicly funded HBCUs throughout the nation; which makes it easier later to pass legislation to close one HBCU rather than having to close three or more. To support that argument just look back at the Tallahassee Democrats from 2004 to 2007 and read the articles pertaining to the "mismanagement of FAMU, how FSU was graduating more African American and the desire of some Republicans to stop funding the school altogether."
Simply, if these schools merge, it will not be long, especially in Mississippi, before the state legislators make the argument of not having a HBCU altogether, which in turn would lead to a domino effect of HBCUs across the
South. Just My Opinion.
This is insane, Rattlers Mobilize!!!! Not only will this affect Mississippi's HBCUs it will directly affects FAMU recruiting tool as the largest HBCU! Let's send the Mississippi legislature a message!!!
ReplyDelete