The Truth About HBCUs: Underfunded, Targeted… and Still Winning | S01E04

What does it really mean to walk onto a college campus where you’re not the minority — where your professors, your classmates, your leaders look like you? In this powerful episode of Prescribing a Healthier Future, Dr. Akilah Weber Pearson sits down with Dr. Kelly O. Elmore to explore the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — not just on students, but on entire communities.

You’ll hear the untold truth about how one small HBCU in New Orleans sends more Black students to medical school than Harvard, Yale, or any Ivy League university. You’ll also learn how HBCUs shape confidence, leadership, cultural identity, and the healthcare workforce that underserved communities depend on.

But this conversation goes beyond celebration — it exposes the ongoing threats HBCUs face:

💣 racially motivated bomb threats

💸 billions in chronic underfunding

🏛️ political targeting and resource inequity

Dr. Weber Pearson and Dr. Elmore share personal stories from Xavier University, the life-changing support they received, and how HBCUs continue to produce doctors, nurses, lawyers, educators, and leaders who go back home and literally save lives.

If you believe in health equity, representation in medicine, and the power of community-rooted education, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

👇 Support HBCUs:

✔ Contact your elected officials

✔ Support UNCF & scholarship organizations

✔ Recruit from HBCUs

✔ Send your kids to HBCUs

✔ Donate to strengthen their endowments

📌 Subscribe for more conversations on building healthier, more equitable communities.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – The Crisis HBCUs Are Solving
00:32 – What It Feels Like to Attend an HBCU
02:03 – Introducing Dr. Kelly Elmore
03:14 – HBCUs Under Attack & Why It Matters
03:59 – Choosing an HBCU: Personal Journeys
06:51 – Media Influence: A Different World & Representation
10:23 – Experiencing Black Academic Excellence
12:38 – Freshman Year Challenges & Culture Shock
18:07 – Academic Pressure & Redefining Excellence
20:19 – How Xavier Built Leadership & Confidence
23:15 – Why Ages 18–22 Matter for Identity & Strength
24:14 – Facing Bias in Medical Training
29:06 – Do We Still Need HBCUs? The Data Says Yes
34:28 – Rising Threats Against HBCUs
37:55 – Chronic Underfunding: The $13 Billion Problem
42:27 – How HBCUs Build Healthy Adults & Leaders
49:17 – The Life-Saving Impact of HBCUs
51:01 – How You Can Support HBCUs Right Now

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