Duke University’s move to end full ride scholarship for Black students gets mixed reaction from former scholars
CNN
Duke University’s decision to end a full ride scholarship program for Black students has received both support and criticism from former recipients of the award.
Duke University’s decision to end a full ride scholarship program for Black students has received both support and criticism from former recipients of the award. The university announced earlier this month that the Reginaldo M. Howard Memorial Scholarship would be replaced by the Reginaldo Howard Leadership Program, which “will be open to all Duke undergraduates.” In an announcement published on Duke’s website, the university said it told current scholarship recipients that the transition was necessary “due to the legal landscape related to race-based considerations in higher education.” “We are reimagining the Reginaldo ‘Reggie’ Howard Scholars program to expand the impact of Howard’s legacy to many more Duke students with a commitment to leadership and social justice,” Duke University spokesman Frank Tramble said in a statement to CNN. “The Reginaldo Howard Leadership Program will elevate the experience of our Black students by enriching their academic connections with faculty, providing funding for internships and research, strengthening community ties, and developing scholarly programming that highlights Black excellence through the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture.” Last year, the Supreme Court struck down race-based college admissions. Craig Vincent, a former Reginaldo Howard Memorial scholar who graduated in 2016, told CNN Friday that he was disappointed in the university’s decision to end the scholarship.
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