Apple Helps Facilitate Coding and Creativity Opportunities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Thursday July 16, 2020 6:54 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple today announced it is partnering with an additional 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to bring coding and creativity opportunities to their campuses.

Apple HBCUs
Apple says this initiative will introduce more students and adult learners to coding and app design through its free "Everyone Can Code" and "Everyone Can Create" curricula, helping to facilitate coding clubs, for-credit coding courses, community coding events, and workforce development opportunities for learners of all ages.

"Apple is committed to working alongside communities of color to advance educational equity," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. "We see this expansion of our Community Education Initiative and partnership with HBCUs as another step toward helping Black students realize their dreams and solve the problems of tomorrow."

The 10 new HBCUs include: Arkansas Baptist College, Central State University, Claflin University, Dillard University, Fisk University, Lawson State Community College, Morehouse College, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University at Shreveport, and Tougaloo College. Apple expects to double its number of HBCU partners by the end of this summer.

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Tag: Everyone Can Code

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger

79 months ago

In theory. But if you spent 150+years making sure one sector of US citizens had better access to jobs, home buying, and schools and then today said *poof* you are all now equal....... Wouldn't logic say the ones who had a 150+ years of compounding head start are better off???

Its kind of weird to complain about investing in places where previously these was none. When society spent so much more decades investing in other areas.

Seriously. It’s like there was a giant race and one dude stabbed the other contestants in the legs before taking off.

After crossing the finish line, he goes, “You’re right; I cheated. I’m sorry. Are we cool now? Can we just keep the rankings as they are?”

And then because this dude also officiated the race, he agrees with himself and collects the trophy he bought.

Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)

2010mini

79 months ago

Honest question I thought everyone was equal now days in America and if you work hard you can achieve anything like Obama did

In theory. But if you spent 150+years making sure one sector of US citizens had better access to jobs, home buying, and schools and then today said *poof* you are all now equal....... Wouldn't logic say the ones who had a 150+ years of compounding head start are better off???

Its kind of weird to complain about investing in places where previously these was none. When society spent so much more decades investing in other areas.

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Digital Skunk

79 months ago

And it isn't investing where none existed before. Other colleges are open to all races. Those colleges (all but the 'black' colleges) welcome all races and allow all races to take these same courses. In fact not only do they welcome all races, they specifically give legs up to those 'special' groups of people to the detriment of all other races. If you havent tried to get into a college lately or tried to get financial aid, try it out.

Everything else is cool, but this bit is wrong.

HBCUs allow anyone to attend, they are just Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I don't know where you got the idea that they are "black only."

Additionally, white people who attend HBCUs get minority scholarships ... because they are the minority at that point.
Additionally, white people who attend HBCUs in predominantly black cities double dip, and get money from the city and the university.

Additionally, HBCUs have had students from other countries attend for decades. Howard, Morgan, Bowie, and UMES (all in Maryland) have long histories with China, Japan, Germany, and a plethora of Central American countries and have provided study aboard and exchange programs for students with various backgrounds.

....

This is one of those "all lives matter" statements for sure.

The short answer is "NO" Apple is not saying that those other institutions don't matter.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

konqerror

79 months ago

I'm surprised that Apple doesn't do this in all colleges and universities.

As it is, it seems like it might have been done for public relations reasons.

It 100% is for PR, since they're targeting HBCUs. An HBCU is only one subcategory of minority-serving institutions (MSIs), as defined by US law. Government efforts are usually targeted towards MSIs in general, not this subset.

Apple is saying that Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) aren't important? What about Native Americans (TCU/NATI/ANNHIs)? Asian-American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI)?

In fact, HBCUs have to be founded before 1964 and do not need to maintain any race demographics. West Virginia State University is a HBCU with 8% African American enrollment, which is less than Harvard (14%). Colleges founded after that which meet African American enrollment demographics are called predominantly black institutions (PBIs). Apple is saying that these aren't important?

I think they chose HBCUs because it has a catchy sounding acronym.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)