Fruit of the Learning Tree.

Black writers talks about how historically black colleges and universities particularly cultivated their talents

Ethnic News Watch reported that more than half of all African American students earn bachelor's degrees in journalism and communications at HBCUs.

"The blacker the college, the sweeter the knowledge."

Students and alumni of historically black colleges and universities have recited this motto with pride, and the shout remains important from a writer's perspective.

The role of traditionally black colleges is to prepare students to survive publishers and editors who have frequently ignored or misunderstood black authors. Creative writing can be deeply personal, as though exposing a chunk of your soul for judgment or praise. An HBCU can provide an amiable setting for folks who are eager to study black literature, and create memorable work in the tradition of Richard Wright (Lincoln University), Zora Neal Hurston (Morgan State), Ralph Ellison (Tuskegee University), Toni Morrison (Howard University), Iyanla Vanzant (Medgar Evers College), James Baldwin (Lincoln University), Spike Lee (Morehouse University) and Earl Greaves (Morgan State University). Most notably the person with perhaps the most profound recent impact on books and reading--Oprah Winfrey--attended, Tennessee State University, also an HBCU.

David J. Dent, a Morehouse alum and journalism professor at New York University, says HBCUs are valuable for aspiring writers on many levels. "A lot can be said for learning in a comfortable environment, not comfortable in a lethargic way, but to learn, grow and develop intellectually free of racial hostilities and tensions."

Says Dent, author of In Search of Black America: Discovering the African-American Dream, "For students of HBCUs race doesn't impose itself in terms of relationships and social factors. You get to know and understand people and that is a very important dynamic for being a writer." Despite obtaining a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University, Dent credits his experiences at Morehouse--including a gig at the campus radio station and some expository writing classes--for laying the foundation for his career.

In 1984, poet and English professor Toi Derricotte had a rude awakening while pursuing a master's of fine arts degree at New York University. She asked her instructor why black writers were not included in the curriculum, and his response was, "We don't go down that low." Luckily, Derricotte channeled her frustration into forming a haven for black poets, known as the Cave Canem workshop, but comments like those made by her former professor's can crush vulnerable minds.

Last year, as an endowed chair at Xavier University, Derricotte informed her students that because during slavery black people were not allowed to read or write, many of their descendants still have an inferiority complex about writing. "When I was in graduate school, I was the only black person in my writing classes," she told her students. "I thought, `I'm not going to be as smart as these other people. I'm not going to write as well.'"

Poet and Dillard University English professor Mona Lisa Saloy, who launched the creative writing program at Dillard, grew up in New Orleans in the 1960s. She says that today many black children are still, unaware of the town's historical and cultural importance and black Americans' literary and artistic contributions.

"The first time I heard the work of Alice Walker, it blew me away that we black people had our own literature" Saloy says. Now, in addition to pursuing her own studies and work, she spends her time teaching and counseling students. She also exposes the students to other nationally known black writers, such as Pearl Cleage, Brenda Marie Osbey (a Dillard alum), Gwendolyn Brooks and Amiri Baraka.

Yona Harvey, who earned her bachelor's in English from Howard University and is currently completing a MFA at Ohio State University, contrasts her experiences at the two schools.

At Ohio State, she says, `I knew it was all white there (only three black students are in her MFA program), but I was looking for that same kind of mentorship that I had had at Howard. I didn't get it. I think the people are very nice, but I wasn't close to anyone. As for writing, there was no one exploring their identity in their work. Obviously, we didn't look at a lot of poets of color. We didn't have any black poets or writers visit the school."

But at Howard, E. Ethelbert Miller, renowned writer and director of Howard's African American Resource Center, was Harvey's mentor. "You just kind of pop in his office," she explains. "He's just sitting back there behind his desk. There's always a zillion people trying to talk to him, but everyone tells you that if you're a young writer, you need to go see Ethelbert." And despite his own literary work, "he always takes time to get back to you as a student. I think he's such a good mentor because he understands the importance of mentoring. Steven Henderson was his mentor."

Harvey's mentorship with Miller opened up the world of black literature for her. After switching majors from nursing to English, she was exposed to black writers' books in her classes. Ethelbert also encouraged her to get involved in literary activities outside campus, such as Cave Canem, where she ultimately met her husband, Terrance Hayes, poet and Xavier University creative writing professor (and author of Muscular Music), and Haye's mentor, Toi Derricotte.

Tina McElroy Ansa, the bestselling novelist who's currently adapting her book in the Family to film, affirms that it's important to have mentors who can relate to you on a cultural level. At Spelman she had instructors of "outstanding caliber" and listened to lectures from the inspirational Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles, endowed chair of humanities at Dillard University, where Ansa continues to spread her infectious love of writing and reading to students. "We all wanted to be like her--wonderful, smart and well-read. She infected women with writing" says Ansa about the woman who introduced her to Zora Neale Hurston and Their Eyes Were Watching God.

After giving the southern girl a stellar grade on a paper about Hurston, Gayles asked her protege: "Do you know that you're a writer?" Little did Wade-Gayles know that those words gave Ansa the freedom to fashion stories about the southern folk who intrigued her as a girl. This meeting was such a turning point for the young writer that she urges HBCUs to expose students to writers. Ansa, the former writer-in-residence at her alma mater, states that it's important for students to make that face-to-face connection and ask questions. "It's difficult to stand up and say `I'm a writer,' because people automatically ask, `Well, what have you published?' or `Are you making a decent living?'"

Valerie Wilson Wesley studied philosophy and sociology at Howard University's School of Communications. Maybe those disciplines were effective in plotting her wildly popular Tamara Hayle mysteries about a sassy, take-no-junk gumshoe. For Wesley, her Howard days were invaluable. "I wouldn't be who I am today without it [the Howard experience]." Fondly remembering a course conducted by Sterling Brown, Wesley says, "He would just read to us and to this day whenever I read his poems I hear his voice. That's the gift of the HBCU."

Another gift of the HBCU, the John Oliver Killens Workshop at Medgar Evers college--was named after the novelist, writer-in-residence at Medgar Evers John Oliver Killens also the organizer of the National Black Writer's Conference (originally held at Howard and Fisk universities). Author and professor Dr. Elizabeth Nunez, director of the conference, often hosts the Killens workshop, of which she once was a student. Nunez, an author and English professor at Medgar Evers, says this of the writing process: "You can't teach creative writing, but you can instruct a student on how to hone their craft. You can support them and provide outlets for them to continue with their work."

Organizations like the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) actively promote the educational, economical and cultural benefits of these historical schools. In the past, TMSF considered itself strictly a scholarship vehicle that knocked on foundation and corporate doors for public black colleges. However, under Dwayne Ashley, the Fund's charismatic and committed director, the mission has included awareness and special programs (for details visit www.thurgoodmarshallscholarshipfund.org). During a recent survey of college life at TMSF schools, Ashley discovered a shrinking interest in newspaper and yearbook activities. In an effort to revive the heartbeat in these areas, the fund has partnered with Time magazine to establish a summer journalism institute.

Says Ashley, "Without the education provided by the 105 HBCUs as well as their nurturing environment and literary mentorship, there would probably be no real black literary tradition in America today. Imagine--no Richard Wright, no Ralph Ellison, and no Oprah!"

A Powerful Partnership

For 13 years, the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund has actively promoted African American scholarships. Named after the first African American to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, TMSF has worked to assist new generations of talented leaders reach their potential through 40 historically black colleges and universities. These institutions collectively offer over 1,100 different majors, which include over 200 programs leading to master's degrees.

TMSF President Dwayne Ashley is leading the fund into the new millennium by promoting greater awareness of the issues facing potential African American students. Ashley works with schools to emphasize extracurricular activities, making sure students are prepared, not only academically, but also socially and artistically, for their entry into the profession of their choice.

"Publishing and education is a powerful partnership," said Virgis W. Colbert, executive vice president of Miller Brewing Company and chairman of TMSF's Board of Directors. "We must continue to support them both." Ashley wants his students not only to participate in the new global economy, but to set the trends themselves. He is also working hard to build bridges for his students so that they are not left out of the current technology explosion. Currently, he is completing an assessment of member schools with the goal of getting and keeping students wired for competition in the fast-paced world of computers.

The 2000-2001 academic year finds over 205,000 students enrolled at TMSF-member schools--and TMSF is proud to contribute to their success. The fund not only awards merit, but also addresses issues of need. In fact, a majority of scholarship recipients are the first in their families to attend college and most awardees come from families with annual incomes of less than $20,000. The TMSF takes pride in their record as leader in promoting African American scholarship.

Students take note! To date, the fund has awarded over $10.7 million in merit scholarships, a number that is steadily increasing. The hard work of the men and women at the TMSF doesn't just help the students they put through college, but it helps the African American community as a whole. With an impressive list of alumni, TMSF has educated lawyers, judges, actors, athletes, farmers, engineers, scientists, business professionals and more who have gone on to contribute to our communities in innumerable ways.

"Without question, the publishing industry is a key foundation of our society," said Colbert. "From textbooks to popular magazines, the industry impacts our lives and our communities daily. Therefore, it is important that we support and train those young minds that will serve as future leaders in the publishing industry."

And we can't forget that many of the editors, agents and writers whose books are reviewed in these pages got their education at TMSF-member schools. Colbert and TMSF understand the importance of preparing students for both the creative and business sides of the industry. "From publishers to editors to writers and the agents who will represent them," he said, "the young talent of today is the voice of the future." TMSF works through corporate, public and individual partnerships to ensure that all African American students, regardless of their economic background, have an opportunity to excel.

Keep up the good work!

For more information on the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, write to: 100 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017, or call toll free, 1-877-690-TMSE You can log on to their website at www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org or e-mail them at [e-mail]

Cassandra Lane is a freelance writer who lives in New Orleans. Formerly a staff writer at the Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.) and the News-Star (Monroe, La.), where she wrote articles, columns and personal essays. Collaborating with New York-based Taiia Smart-Young, Cassandra examines the historically black colleges and universities that are birthing the next generation of literary greats.