CNN 2012-02-28

 And of course, the term HBCU refers to schools that were founded before 1964, exclusively for African-American students. Today, there are around a hundred historically black colleges and universities in the US. It's part of our continuing coverage 1 of Black History Month. We talked with some students at Morehouse and Spelman College, right here in Atlanta about their experiences of attending HBCUs.     

 
The reason I wanted to come to Morehouse is because I'd heard about so many of its alumni. The first black mayor of Atlanta, Maynard Jackson went here. Spike 2 Lee and so many others went here. Martin Luther King Junior went here and the list goes on and on. Those men made it here. I wanna be here. I wanna take the opportunity to learn what they learned, walk what they walked. Everyday, there are moments when I just have to walk outside and look at the statues. There are statues of Martin Luther King Junior, Benjamin ** around the campus. There are certain spots on this campus like Seal Hall where different leaders actually sit. They use to have graduations there. Not just walk there and just breath the air, cause this is a sense of belonging that I sense here.
 
 
The HBCU is really an environment that cultivates and nurtures 3 the young minds of African-American men and women. Although, you know, it's a very multi-cultural environment. I think you get to see people from different walks of life. I mean, in terms of diverse social and economic experiences that I don't think I was ever exposed to throughout any my years of schooling 4. I think this international minds, a kind of captain mind, you know, this going global theme is permeating 5 throughout Spelman's culture.
 
Apparently 6 Morehouse's built on the fact that all the students here are accountable for their brothers. We are not gonna let one fall behind or fall below. We are gonna consistently have our brothers back and uplift him. I heard of a say "when you empower the man of Morehouse you empower the world." I thought that was just so moving and I want to be a part of it. Morehouse schedule different characteristics, so you can surround yourself with different people that help empower your identity, empower your inner man.
 
I did grow up in a mature way, an environment ** to New Jersey 7 and I didn't have many black friends there. So when I came here and I was surrounded by African-American women that were driven I really connected with my identity. When I was a freshman 8, I was very shy. Spelman has allowed me to grow and to be more forward and have the ability to talk to anyone. Just the opportunity that Spelman has given me and I call my parents and tell them the stories. They are just like, well, guessing you do belong that Spelman.
 
Sometimes when I am discouraged in classes... I would literally 9 just walk slowly through these walls and listen to the voices and I hear them saying "If I made it, you can make it." 
 
And sometimes you would like to feed your cute animals in hour before we go segment. But, man, that is one ugly-looking dog. Luckily, it looks perfect for a baby aardvark. This little guy is the newest arrival at a zoo in Illinois. He's only about 40 days old. So he doesn't have a name yet. The zoo, for now, is just calling him "it". Officials made sure and pointed 10 out that "it" is an aardvark, not an anteater. Although when they describe how "it" was feeling, they said he's strong, but a little bit antsy. You know, it's aard to come up with pun sometimes, so we borrow that one from the zoo. Hope they don't mind and before we take off, as we promised, we want to mention that the students at Daniel Wright Junior High School in Illinois what you guys got the answers to our social media question right.
 
That's gonna ramp 11 things up for us. Enjoy your weekends everybody. For CNN Student News. I'm Ben.