"UI alumna: African-Americans should maximize opportunities," October 26, 1990

Friday, October 26, 1990 UI alumna: African-Americans should maximize opportunities By Chris Pothoven The Daily lowan There is a fine line between the success and failure of African-Americans in higher education, says a UI alumna, and American universities need to give students enough opportunities to ensure that line is not crossed. Returning to the university that she said gave her the opportunity she needed to earn her doctorate almost 40 years ago, Jewel Prestage spoke Thursday evening on the "African-American and the American Educational System: An American Crisis." "The harsh reality is that at all stages and levels in American education today, African-Americans are disproportionately represented in the negative statistics column," Prestage said. Among other studies, she cited a 1988 American Council on Education report stating that, while the percentage of African-Americans graduating from high school had increased since 1982, the proportion of those attending college had decreased. Prestage, who at the age of 22 became the first black woman to earn a doctorate in political science in America, said a large part of this crisis is caused by the lack of chances for African-Americans. "Opportunity is elusive in the case of African-Americans," she said. "However you look at the African-Americans in the American educational system, there's a problem." The under-representation of black faculty makes this crisis even more severe, she said, explaining that African-American faculty in traditionally white universities hold lower rankings, and therefore receive less pay and prestige. But Prestage, who has served on countless education councils — including being appointed by then-President Jimmy Carter to the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs — offered suggestions to help solve the crisis. "If the number of African-Americans pursuing and receiving graduate degrees is to increase, then there must be a more supportive total environment for African-American students ... and creating this environment must be made a serious agenda item," she said. To do this, school administrations should speak and act authoritatively when incidents of racial harassment occur, Prestage said. "A second thing ... is to try to capitalize on the experiences of historically black institutions," she continued. Other solutions include understanding the experiences of black "Insist on things that will make your education complete." Jewel Prestage students on campus and making sure they have adequate financial aid. "Don't be afraid to take those steps — to experiment," Prestage said, "because with the statistics being what they are, it is highly unlikely that whatever you do will be more wrong than what you are doing right now." Prestage said institutions shouldn't be discouraged that increasing the number of African-Americans enrolled is difficult. "If African-Americans are successful in bringing to American higher education the kind of diversity that is envisioned ... then all of us will be better for it," she said. Prestage also thanked the UI for first giving her the opportunity she needed to attend graduate school, an option not open to her in her home state of Louisiana. She encouraged students at the UI now to keep the tradition of excellence alive. "Don't let them let (the tradition of excellence) die," she said. "Insist on things that will make your education complete." University of Iowa Libraries. University Archives