The Benefit of Highly Recruited Black Athletes at HBCUs
The recent commitment of Makur Maker to play basketball for Howard
University will change the land scape for media attention to Howard’s Men’s Basketball
team. Maker is a nationally ranked five-star high school recruit from
California. At 6’11, the Kenyan born center was raised in Australia until
moving to the United States when he was a high school freshman. In July 2020,
he committed to play college basketball for Howard University over offers from
UCLA, Kentucky and Memphis. He became the highest-ranked recruit to commit to a
historically black college or university (HBCU) in the modern recruiting era.
After his signing he encouraged other highly ranked basketball recruits to
follow in his footsteps to sign with a HBCU.
For years many predominantly white universities (PWIs) showcased
and benefited monetarily due to black student athletes putting their respective
schools on a pedestal. Many of these PWIs have garnered annual multi-billion dollar
revenues from their athletic programs due to merchandise, sponsorships, and
media. Many people in the black community have wondered, “What would happen if
black student athletes all decided to go to HBCUs?”
As many HBCUs are struggling to stay open, now is the time
for black student athletes to put HBCUs on a national spotlight and even
playing field. This is important because of the important legacies and roles
that black colleges provide for black professionals. The racial economic gap
for house holds for blacks in compared to whites is at an all-time high and continues
to grow. In today’s tense racial climate, black student athletes may find it
tough to navigate PWIs. At HBCUs, black athletes will feel more at ease with
being around their own people without having to deal with discrimination and
have more of a relation with other black students. Ultimately, black student
athletes have the power to make a change for the financial futures of HBCUs.
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