 Welcome to the second episode of the HBCU experience. I am your host, Gwendolyn Harris. Historical Black colleges and universities, also known as HBCUs, are institutions of higher education that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The primary purpose was serving the African-American community. Today, HBCUs are at the forefront because of our Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a graduate of Howard University and HBCU. Today, we will ask the question, why did you attend an HBCU? My guests today have all attended graduated HBCUs, and they are Dr. Paula Major, Otto Taylor, and Stephen Wooster. Let's welcome them all to the show. Aloha, guys, how are you doing? All right, thank you. I wanna thank all of you for being here. I know Steve and Otto, you guys are, of course, out of Hawaii, so you guys are up, like way past your bedtime right now. So I thank all of you for being here. So I want each one of you, starting with Steve, I want each one of you to just tell us a little bit about yourself. Well, I do military and I've also taught for 25 years. So, and I've been in the military for almost 30 years. Wow. And Otto, go ahead, Steve. Oh, no, I was just gonna say, and I was there at Hampton with Gwen. Yes, sir. Oh, yes, 30 something years ago. Otto, tell us about yourself. How are you guys doing? My name is Otto Taylor. I'm a junior dual degree engineering major with a concentration in applied physics, and then I attend the Morehouse College. I'm from Honolulu, Hawaii. And Dr. Paula Major, tell us about yourself. Hello, hi, everyone. I am Paula Major. I'm originally from Detroit, Michigan, West Side. And I'm a mother, I'm a wife. I was a first grade teacher in Detroit for almost 10 years. And then I went ahead and pursued more education, and now I'm a professor in elementary education. I have two little ones, a wonderful husband, and I am here in Oahu. Well, welcome, all of you. I thank you for being here for this show. So of course, you know, we're gonna get this party started, like I wanna say. And I want you, again, Steve, I'm gonna start with you. Why did you choose to attend an HBCU? You know I started with you, right? Look, it was so easy. I really wasn't thinking in terms, remember I was young, okay? I probably wasn't the brightest guy, wasn't very mature, but I actually am from a town, a very small town that had an HBCU, St. Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Virginia, and went to a small high school there. So I don't even know if I really quite understood like, oh, there was all these differences. Cause I grew up with that college right there. But it was homecoming St. Paul's College and Hampton University Band marched down the street and I saw that band coming down. I said, wow, that band is awesome. And that's when I started looking up Hampton, found out about the academics and found out about the, at the time I wanted to be an officer in the Army, that didn't fulfill it, but they had a great ROTC program and a great school and an awesome band. So really the band. The band, huh? Okay, okay. That's an honest answer. Well, yes, I can vouch for that. The band was awesome. I can definitely vouch for that. Ado, why did you attend or why are you attending an HBCU? Well, for me it was a little different. I was born in Chicago, Illinois. Well, actually Rockford, but I grew up in Chicago and I transitioned to Hawaii around middle school. So I completed middle school and high school out there. Around my time, during middle school and high school, me and my brother were one of the only few black people in my high school. So I was around people that didn't look like me. And I also feel like that, helped me build my character, but being around people that looked like me with similar ambitions was something I wanted to prioritize when choosing what college I attended. That's why I went to HBCU. Nice, that sounds like my story, Ado. Paulo, why did you attend Howard University? Well, honestly, ultimately it was the yard scene, but initially I was not going to go to Howard. I wanted to be in DC because I love DC and I wanted to go to Georgetown and I had Howard as my backup. And so I actually, you know, you go through these rigorous stages to get into Georgetown. And so I basically made it up to the interview and then it was, okay, well, academically, you know, we're not necessarily sure, you need to go somewhere and then come after your first semester. So that's what I was gonna do. I was gonna go to Howard, went to Howard for my first semester and I'm thinking, okay, I'll just transfer to Georgetown. It's right down the street. Not knowing that I was not ever gonna do that at all. So I mean, I came outside of Douglas Hall and looked at the yard and it was packed, it was hot, it was sunny, it was music in different corners and you can tell the athletes were here and the fine arts people were here, the band people were over there, you had people playing soccer. All these different groups were out there and I stood on the steps and I was in amazement. I'll never forget the feeling. And I was like, wow, look at all of these brown people just vibing and no one's in class, right? And I was just like, I'm not going to Georgetown. I'm gonna stay right here. And so that's what I did. But that's a true story. Now I had gone to Howard's homecoming so I always knew like, okay, it's a good school. But I also went to Georgetown's homecoming. And so they partied too. And I liked the parties. I had a friend at Georgetown and then I had a classmate going to Georgetown. So, you know, my reasons to go that way was for those two reasons, I had a friend there, had a friend about to go and they seemed to have really good parties. Those were my reasons of wanting to go to Georgetown. But ultimately it was the yard and literally seeing just all of these people. Well, let me ask all three of you this question because I know for me, when I first went to Hampton just to visit it and I was with my mother. And, you know, like you Otto, I grew up going to predominantly white schools. And, you know, I said, you know, got to Hampton's campus and was like, mom, this is where I wanna go. But let me ask all three of you this question. It seems like a sense of family when you step on the yard, like you say, that's the term we use. What do you say, what do you guys think? That sense of family bonding at an HBCU? It was definitely a lot of like-mindedness, I noticed. Right? Yeah, you had these different chapters, right? You had the Detroit chapter and the Chicago chapter but you also had like the La Crosse group and then the band group. And then, you know, you had all these different collaborative groups. And so in a sense, it was definitely family but I had never been around so many different like-minded people with like the same interests. Nice. Now, I want each of you to describe a life lesson you learned from a professor or an incident or situation that occurred while you were attending your school. Otto, you can go first. For me, a lesson I learned was, you know, just to handle your business. I've seen a lot of people in my class come to college ready to have a good time, take out $50,000 to go to school and then, you know, not handle their business and ending up having to leave. You know, college isn't cheap at all. So for me, it was always, you know, what is my why? When I get discouraged, what I go back to to keep me going, even if I don't feel like going to class or doing my work. For me, it's not crazy mom, but, you know, for other people, it might be something different. So I would say a lesson I learned and I've seen people really get, you know, messed up by not coming in and taking a serious and handling their business once they get there. What about you, Steve? Same question. Oh, I'm sorry. I got caught up in auto, you're going to have a lot of job offers. I'm going to tell you that. And he hit his spot on, because I was one of those people. I wasn't that mature and didn't focus as well. But yeah, Otto, you are going to have employee, employers lined up to get you. I appreciate that. Yeah, no, I mean, it's, I taught high school math. So I've seen a lot of students come through. You're going to be high value. So it was the question about the lesson, right? Yes, sir. I think it was, how do I narrow it down to just one lesson? I think just bonding with people from all over, from literally all over big cities, small towns, that kind of thing, that was new to me. And of course, there again, the band was hype. But there were other, I mean, I met other people outside the band and still keeping contact with a lot of people from way more from Hampton than anywhere else, honestly. So yeah, I think for me, it was the bringing together of people from all over. That was probably one of my biggest lessons. Paula, what about you? I kind of assumed college was going to be easy because high school was easy for me. And so I kind of had this, like I wasn't working as hard as I could have. So I really quickly realized not to just like, assume college is not rigorous. It was, I watched people like fall quickly to the wayside. My first semester, my second semester, those people did not come back. And so I was like, oh, let me buckle down. So kind of in a sense, like what Otto said, but he kind of already went there with it. He had it in him. I was like, oh, let me tap into what I got here for a mess around and get put out. That is so true. I just had this big assumption that it was easy. And by no means was it easy. I had to work for every grade I got. Every grade, every class, even the repeats, right? It was hard. Howard is hard. Why do you think Otto? Why do you think HBCUs are getting positive recognition as of late? Well, you kind of spoke to it first a little bit earlier. My vice president went to an HBCU. I feel like HBCUs are becoming a lot more visible to people. I know for older people that I talked to, people didn't really know about HBCUs or it was a different time back then. I feel like they're getting a lot more recognition for the things they're doing and for the things they're accomplishing. I feel like that's a good thing. For me at least, in my story, like I said, I wanted to attend the HBCU because I wanted to be around people that looked like me. I feel like other Brown students are prioritizing that as well. What about you, Steve? Yeah, it's interesting. I just said that to one of my nephews the other day because I picked up my wife, a Virginia state sticker. And he was like, oh, you went by Virginia state? I was like, yeah, you know, seems like the HBCU is really hot right now. And I think vice president Harris has a lot to do with that because I think people who have gone there have appreciated them for a long, long time but not everybody knows specifically like, yeah, you know, there's these historically black colleges and universities out there, like no kidding. And they're like, what? So I think a lot of people didn't even realize. And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to do a show like this, especially with vice president Harris coming into office because a lot of people don't know about HBCUs, you know? And especially, and another reason is a lot of people don't realize that when you say a historical black college university, they just think African-Americans go. So that's why Steve, you are a product, you went there. You went there. And it's a lot of, you know, non-black people that go there now, I should say. A lot, a lot, especially at Hampton now. For the record, they didn't give me any money to go there. Okay, I went there purely because that's where I wanted to go to school. So plenty of loans later, but. What would you change about your HBCU experience, if anything, Paula? To appreciate it more than I did. I mean, I did definitely appreciate it, but to appreciate how quickly it went by. It went by super fast those four years. So looking back, I was the one that took all the photos and I'm glad that I took all the photos. You know, my friends would always get upset. There you go with that camera. You always taking photos. And now they're all appreciative that I took the photos, but I still feel like, oh, but there was so much that I kind of just flew through. So going back, I would really just be in it more, like more in the moment, but you know, you're young, you're in college and I don't know, I don't think anybody's ever mentally like that. But if I could do it again, I would slow it down and be really in it. What about you, Adam? Cause you're still there. You're still there. So what about you? Right, I was just about to speak to what she was saying. Just really taking advantage of those relationships, really building genuine friendships with other people or something. I feel like I prioritized, but should have prioritized even more. You know, with COVID and everything happening, I was only on campus a year and a half, a year and a half. I'm a junior, I'm about to be a senior. Hopefully I get a couple more semesters on campus before I leave, but it's harder now to keep up with those relationships. It's harder now to stay in touch with people just because we can't run into each other, going to the cafe anymore, we can't run into each other playing basketball. So I just wish I would have built more relationships and networked a little better while I did have the opportunity. Keith, what about you? I wish I'd have been who Otto is now. I wish I'd have been more mature and taken classes in the school and the privilege of being in college more serious. That's my one regret, is I wasn't a better student. Now I did become a better student, but it took me a while. It took me going in the army and doing some crazy stuff. And then I'm like, wow, you know, college, then I had that discipline that like Paula said, work hard, but I wish I'd have had it when I went there. Now, Steve, this question is directed to you. And of course you were a minority at Hampton. How were you treated by your fellow classmates? I think everywhere you go, you're going to find haters. People around the world find a reason to hate someone for any reason. They can look exactly alike, but they'll find a reason. But at Hampton, I thought it went well. I mean, as far as I know there were people who had problems, but really like, I didn't associate with them. I associated with the people who were like my family in and outside the band. And just an example of welcoming my older brother stopped by the school to see me. Now he had no idea where I stayed. I hadn't talked to him in a while. You know, we didn't have cell phones. He pulls up to the gate and he's like, hey, my brother goes to this school. Do you know where he is? They knew exactly who he was talking about. Oh yeah, he's room 203, Harkness Hall. And I'm like, he pulls up and finds me. But that's how it was. Like people looked out. I think even people working there looked out for everybody. And that's an awesome part of Hampton and, you know, HBCUs is looking out for their students. Each one of you, tell me something about your school, something historical about your school. Aro? So as you may know, the guy standing behind me, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did attend Morehouse College. But a lot of people don't know about his mentor, Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays. He was a very intricate part of the Morehouse Mystique. And I see that today on campus. A lot of people have left their mark on Morehouse. Morehouse has been around for a very long time. And it's also one of the only few places that produce a lot of African-American leaders, male African-American leaders at scale. One of the only places in the country that do that. Paula, tell us something about Howard. There's so much. But I think the one thing that really comes to mind is right now we have our vice president in office from Howard, but there's a lot of politicians on the Capitol that are working for our nation. I think that doesn't necessarily get known out there. So I would say that the fine arts has quite a few actors and actresses and producers. I could, you know, you got Taraji P. Henson right now. You got Sean Puffy Cones. You got the producer of it's called Cultural Creation. So yeah, it's a lot of well-known people that are coming out of there. I do know that right now they're going to put out a search for a new president and they're seeking to hopefully fulfill it with a female. So they're always trying to be forward thinkers. So we'll see if that will be the latest, maybe historical thing coming up. Too many to name. That's a hard one. I can't pin it down. Steve, what can you tell us something historical about Hampton? Well, Gwen, you remember the Emancipation Oak? That was big and that was like, oh wow, that happened right here. Wow, I'm standing. And also it was Hampton Institute and I think it was Hampton Normal Institute if I have that in the right order. And they were educating not only African Americans but also Native Americans way back in the early day. So that's the two historical parts that I remember. Right, and you mentioned the Emancipation Oak. So if you go to Hampton for everybody that's watching, if you go to Hampton, it's this massive oak tree that is there and it's toward the end of the campus but you cannot miss it. But the importance of the Emancipation Oak was it was the site of the first Southern reading of President Lincoln's Emancipation and that happened in 1863. Because they read President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation which was an act which accelerated the demand for African American education. So that is one of the big things now. And when I went back to Hampton for homecoming a few years ago, I was amazed at how it's changed a lot. A lot has changed there now. They have a pharmacy school. It's just unreal. You wouldn't even recognize the campus at all. But what were your expectations for attending an HBCU and did you get what you expected? Otto? So my first time on the HBCU campus was going to North Carolina ANC. It's actually where I had committed to before I decided to build a more house. But I went to homecoming. So the reason for my pursuing went to HBCU at first was to have fun. Once I went to a more house program over the summer and really sat down and got to be around people, other students and also the teachers are like in a classroom environment. It really changed my mind or my look on how, how much the teachers care about you. They really want to succeed. They don't want to fail you, but rather they see, they want to help you and they want to see you do well. Paula, same question. I was just into Otto's response. I know, I'm just like, I'm just like, It's a question. Otto, you're just wowing all of us here today right now. Yes. You want me to repeat the question for you, Paula? Yes, please. What were your expectations for attending your HBCU and did you get what you expected? My expectations were to just, you know, really have fun. I knew I would establish relationships and I did right away, just be around all these beautiful, like-minded people and go to school. That was, I got what I expected, but it was so much more than what I expected. E, what about you? I definitely got more than what I expected. And I expected an education, hope to have fun. And I got way more than that because I got people that I haven't seen in 30-some years and talked to and it's like, oh yeah, I just saw you the other day. And I'm very appreciative for that. And the lifelong relationships that came out of it, I'm very appreciative of it. And a great experience. I personally think there's a lot to be said for smaller schools. And Hampton was just a great size for me. How do you apply what you have gained at an HBCU to your daily life with people or in general? I know you're gonna give us an answer. Go ahead, man. Well, for me at least to piggyback off my last answer, it's just what I've been talking about in the beginning just about building genuine relationships. You know, usually when I meet somebody, I don't really remember what their last name it was or things like that, but Morehouse really taught me to pitch this into detail. I asked them what their parents' names are. And if you really put effort into getting to know somebody, you can find more things you have in common with them. So even in the work world, I might see people that don't look like me or not have similar interests, but that's probably not cause I'm not asking enough questions. So I took that from Morehouse and I apply that, my career and just, you know, an everyday life. Steve? I get mesmerized every time. Man, this guy, like, if I was like... Don't call me, don't call me. I'm serious, I get like, wow, that's exactly right. That's the perfect answer. Like, what? Okay, say it one more time, Gwen. How do you apply what you have gained at an HBCU to your daily life with people or in general? Well, yeah. I was in an interview once and the principal was like, well, how do you work with black students? And, you know, we're mostly, this school's like, you know, it's like 85% minority. And I started kidding, Gwen. I was like, I don't think that'll be a problem, sir. And somehow it came up, like, well, where did you go to college? I said something about Hampton. It turned out he was good friends with my big brother at Hampton, Rick Randall, from the band. And the network and began right there. And the interview was essentially over. He like ends up calling Rick right in the middle. So I think just being able to work with people and get along and realize, like you said, Otto, there's always something in common, get to know people. Get to know people before you start judging. So yeah, I take that. I love it. And Paula, you're gonna end it because this is gonna be our last question. Paula, you're gonna end that. What, how do you apply what you have gained at an HBC to your daily life with people or in general? I gained confidence just to have the ability to try, take a risk, maybe fail at it and get up and do it again. I really, really look back and I think it's from my experiences with my professors and trying to get through statistics too. It really just helped me like shape my confidence and really taking that now even into my profession. I might be fearful of accomplishing something but I'm still going to put my best and accomplish it the best I know how. So I really learned how to take risk at Howard. And it was a great confidence booster from my professors. In different situations I went through really helped me along the way. So I apply it now I think in my work ethic, you see it. Nice. Well, this, I told you this 30 minutes was gonna go by quick. And I thank all of you for being here. Otto, especially you have all of us like mesmerized. I'm like mesmerized by you right now. But really quick, can you just tell everybody because you're still in school, I want you to tell everybody what you are going to be doing. So like I said, in the beginning I'm a dual degree engineering major with a concentration in applied physics. Engineering is such a broad degree. So engineering to me is just problem solving. I think we're all problem solvers. These past two summers I've been blessed with the opportunity to work for North of Grumman which is a government contracting company up in Baltimore, Maryland. I basically worked on multifunctional space hardware, tested, adjusted, calibrated and created the antennas that go into F-135 tanks and other military vessels. So I wouldn't mind doing that. It's been a good experience. I do have an offer for John Hopkins this upcoming summer. So I might take advantage of that to see what other companies have to offer. I don't think electrical engineering you don't think of one specific job. So that's been kind of my journey figuring out what I want to do with my summers. Well, I don't, you're going to go far. Yes. You are going to go so far. But I thank all of you for being here and representing your schools to my viewers until next time. Aloha and God bless.