10 Black Celebrities with College Degrees

By CANDACE ROBERTS

Rashida Jones

• Actress and daughter of Quincy Jones.
• Known for her roles in I Love You, Man and The Social Network.
• Bachelor’s degree in Religion & Philosophy from Harvard University.

Image via IMDB.com

Hill Harper

• Actor, Philanthropist and Author.
• Best known for his roles on For Colored Girls and CSI: NY.
• Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Brown University.
• Master’s and Juris Doctorate in Public Administration from Harvard University Law School.

Image via StarPulse.com

Gabrielle Union

• Actress.
• Best known for her roles on Bring It On and Two Can Play That Game.
• Bachelor’s in Sociology from UCLA.

Image via FamousWallpaper.net

David Alan Grier

• Actor and comedian.
• Best known for his roles on In Living Color and Jumanji.
• Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.
• Master’s degree in Drama from Yale University.

Image via EW.com

Ryan Leslie

• Singer, Producer and Songwriter.
• Popular songs: Gibberish and Addiction.
• Bachelor’s degree in Government & Economics from Harvard University.

Image via TheFabEmpire.com

Sanaa Lathan

• Actress.
• Best known for her roles in Love & Basketball and The Family That Preys.
• Bachelor’s degree in Drama from Yale University.

Image via StarPulse.com

Tatyana Ali

• Actress and singer.
• Best known for her role as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
• Bachelor’s degree in Afro-American History and Government from Harvard University.

Image via ContactMusic.com

Angela Bassett

• Actress.
• Best known for her roles in Waiting to Exhale and What’s Love Got to do With It?
• Bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies from Yale University.
• Master’s degree in Drama from Yale University.

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Keshia Knight-Pulliam

• Actress.
• Best known for her role as Rudy on The Cosby Show.
• Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Spelman COLLEGE.

Image via Ifelicious.com

Holly Robinson Peete

• Actress and talk show host.
• Best known for her role on Hanging with Mr. Cooper.
• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and French from Sarah Lawrence College.

Image via SpeakLA.com

Other Black Celebrities with degrees:

• John Legend (Singer)
• Aisha Tyler (Comedienne)
• Courtney B. Vance (Actor)
• Vanessa Williams (Actress & Singer)
• Denzel Washington (Actor)
• Lance Gross (Actor)
• Spike Lee (Producer & Actor)
• Taraji P. Henson (Actress & Singer)
• Terry McMillan (Author)
• Terrence Howard (Actor)
• Joe Torry (Actor)
• Shaquille O’Neal (Professional Basketball Player)
• Terrence J (TV Personality)

I AM SURE THERE ARE OTHER BLACK CELEBRITIES WITH COLLEGE DEGREES, BUT THESE ARE JUST A FEW. I SET OUT TO NAME ONLY 10, BUT AS I FIND MORE I WILL TRY TO ADD THEM!

5 sites to view before college

Image via Wikipedia

By CANDACE ROBERTS

1. CollegeBoard.com

Choosing which college to attend can be a tough decision. This site includes a college matchmaker where you can enter in the things you look for in a college, such as; location, majors, and admission requirements. The site also includes information on SAT and CLEP tests. You can even view descriptions on majors and careers.

2. FastWeb.com

These days the cost of education can be a burden. Here you can find information on scholarships; how to get them and which ones are available to you. Scholarships are added to their database everyday. There is even a search for internship opportunities.

3. RateMyProfessors.com

Having the right professor plays a significant role in your education experience. View the comments of other students here before registering for classes.

4. Fafsa.ed.gov

FAFSA= Free Application for Federal Student Aid! So, you’ve applied to college, got in, and now its time to pay and you’ll need all the money you can get. Apply for grants and loans for your education here.

5. StudentsReview.com

If you want to know what a college is like before you get there from a student’s point of view, check this site out! Students can rate colleges by their education quality, social life, safety, surrounding city and other aspects of interest!

Education in America

Public schools are being shut down, the cost of college education is going up, more students are dropping out of high school, teachers are still underpaid, and everyone is looking for someone to blame! Who is really failing our students? Is it the parents, teachers, The Department of Education, or are the students simply failing themselves? Some say the schools aren’t well funded, the students aren’t motivated, the teachers don’t care, etc.

“In the past two years, Detroit has closed 59 schools and cut 30 percent of the school system’s workforce. But the district is still staring at a deficit of more than $300 million, and thousands of students continue to flee every year.”

–Hulett, Sarah “Detroit’s Education Rehab: Are Charter’s A Solution?” NPR, May 11, 2011. Online. Available: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/11/136206552/detroits-education-rehab-are-charters-a-solution October 27, 2011.

The vacant Sherrard School is seen in Detroit on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Patricia Beck, Detroit Free Press)

After conducting research I found that students who choose to attend in state public colleges for undergraduate degrees can pay up to $10,000 for books, tuition and fees. Throw in room & board and it totals up to $17,000 or more! Out of state students can pay up to $37,400 or more. Those who choose to attend private colleges for undergraduate degrees can look to pay around $35,000 or more and thats just for tuition. Add the cost of books, fees, room & board and you’re looking at about $53,600 or more.

Classrooms are overcrowded and with only one teacher how can they meet the needs of each individual student?! Utah has more students per class than any other state in America.

“Students in overcrowded schools pay less attention, achieve less, and experience more violence. Overcrowded schools are more likely to have inadequate or substandard electrical and lighting systems, safety features, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, floors and foundations.”

–“OVERCROWDING In California’s Schools: An Epidemic that is Getting Worse!” The Crisis Online. Available: http://justschools.gseis.ucla.edu/crisis/overcrowding/index.html October 27, 2011.

High school dropouts are not eligible for 90 percent of the jobs in the economy! Less than 1% of people with a GED can join the military unless they receive 15 college credits. 3 out of 4 high school graduates are not even prepared for college academically.

“Since 1983, more than 10 million Americans reached the 12th grade without having learned to read at a basic level. In the same period, more than 6 million Americans dropped out of high school altogether. 54 percent of all teachers have limited English proficient (LEP) students in their classrooms, yet only one-fifth of teachers feel very prepared to serve them. More than three out of four of those on welfare, 85% of unwed mothers and 68% of those arrested are illiterate.”

–“Reading, Literacy & Education Statistics.” The Literacy Company. Online. Available: http://www.readfaster.com/education_stats.asp October27, 2011.

The United States spends more money on education than most other countries, yet countries like Norway and Japan beat the U.S. in subjects like Math and Science.

Right now, says Gina Burkhardt, CEO of nonprofit Learning Point Associates, the U.S. Department of Education spends just 0.1% of its budget on research and development. “How do you develop new tools in education when there’s no money to make that happen?” she asks.

The bottom line is this; everyone needs to make themselves aware of this crisis and research needs to be done to figure out a way to fix it. People must do their part to educate and help all students, children and adults, to achieve academic success!

Related articles

• Educational Inequalities Discussed (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
• Get Schooled: Class Size, College Tuition and More Education News (newsfeed.time.com)
• Why We’re Failing Our Schools (time.com)
• Key Things Parents Can Do To Make Sure Their Children Are Prepared For The 21st Century (education.com)
• Educating Young Men of Color (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)

5 sites to view before college!

Image via Wikipedia

1. CollegeBoard.com

Choosing which college to attend can be a tough decision. This site includes a college matchmaker where you can enter in the things you look for in a college, such as; location, majors, and admission requirements. The site also includes information on SAT and CLEP tests. You can even view descriptions on majors and careers.

2. FastWeb.com

These days the cost of education can be a burden. Here you can find information on scholarships; how to get them and which ones are available to you. Scholarships are added to their database everyday. There is even a search for internship opportunities.

3. RateMyProfessors.com

Having the right professor plays a significant role in your education experience. View the comments of other students here before registering for classes.

4. Fafsa.ed.gov

FAFSA= Free Application for Federal Student Aid! So, you’ve applied to college, got in, and now its time to pay and you’ll need all the money you can get. Apply for grants and loans for your education here.

5. StudentsReview.com

If you want to know what a college is like before you get there from a student’s point of view, check this site out! Students can rate colleges by their education quality, social life, safety, surrounding city and other aspects of interest!

 

Related Articles

• Financial Aid for Community College: What is FAFSA? (education.com)
• An Investment in Your Future: Funding Your Undergraduate Education Through Federal and State … (education.com)
• Simplifying the FAFSA: Executive Summary (education.com)