Glaucoma Research Foundation

Glaucoma Research Foundation Honors the Historically Black Colleges and Universities

During Black History Month the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) salutes the 100+ Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These campuses certainly have a distinguished and pioneering record in producing the next generation of distinguished African American leaders in medicine and science. Soon they may serve as the new frontier for informing as many as four generations of one of the most serious health issues confronting the African American community:glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in African Americans. Over 750,000 African Americans have glaucoma; only half know it. Glaucoma strikes at an earlier age and progresses more quickly in African Americans than any other ethnicity. Even with family history as a known primary risk indicator, glaucoma can be invisible in the family setting; often it is not discussed, even though awareness of family medical history could lead to vigilant testing, which, in turn, would save sight.

This is where the HBCUs enter the picture, providing opportunities to break through the silence around glaucoma. College activities can be especially stressful to students as they either “hit the books” or “surf the web” to advance their scholarly pursuits. Imagine vision loss added to student stress. The opportunity for students to discuss family medical history by asking: “Is there a history of glaucoma in our family?” is just one of many questions that could connect student to parents, grandparents and extended family, and open channels to health awareness, especially about glaucoma, to all relatives engaged with the student.

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities

The HBCUs were defined by Congress in Title III of the High Education Act of 1965. These institutions of higher learning, whose principal mission is to educate African Americans, have evolved from their grass roots commitment in 1837 of teaching freed slaves to read and write to a prominent position in the 21st century offering students an environment to earn a sense of identity, heritage and community. Although the HBCUs represent just 3% of the nation’s institutions of higher learning, they confer undergraduate degrees to nearly 25% of African Americans who earn Baccalaureate degrees.

The long history of the HBCUs starts with Cheyney College, founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youth, established in Philadelphia providing free classical education to qualified young people, and became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (1983). Other significant colleges in the HBCU pantheon include: Asmun Institute (1854), the first school of higher education for young black men later renamed Lincoln University (PA,1866); Wilberforce University (OH,1856) the first black school owned and operated by African Americans; Howard University (DC,1869) the country’s first black law school; Meharry Medical College (TN,1876) the first black medical school in the US; and Spelman College (GA,1881) the first college for black women in the nation.

From the 100+ colleges, serving African-American students for over 150 years, a list of distinguished graduates would fill pages. According to the United Negro College Fund (estab. 1944), in the United States today:

• Over 50% of all African American professionals are graduates of HBCUs
• 90% of African Americans pursuing Doctorate degrees are HBCU graduates
• Over 50% of the nation’s African American public school teachers and 70% of African American dentists earned degrees at HBCUS
• Spelman College and Bennett College produce over 50% of the country’s African American female doctorates in all science fields
• Xavier University is #1 nationally in medical school placement for African Americans
• Florida A&M is the #1 producer of African Americans with Baccalaureate degrees
• In 2005, HBCU student enrollment stands at 300,000, representing 24% of all African American student enrolled in higher education in the United States

HBCUs offer a unique sensibility to incoming students. Time tested, the HBCU experience has proven effective by graduating African American students who are poised to be competitive in the corporate, research, academic, governmental and military arenas. Comments from entering freshmen illustrate that beyond scholastic advantage, their HBCU choice evolved from a desire to share their cultural heritage, be mentored by successful African Americans, and share in an historical experience.

The GRF HBCU Glaucoma Awareness Initiative

In April 2004, GRF received a simple letter from Michelle McMillan, a freshman from Spelman College. Part of a community awareness project assignment, her letter challenged GRF: “What can be done to educate other African Americans about the seriousness of glaucoma and how it is the leading cause of blindness among them?” Michelle’s story and her challenge was compelling for GRF and galvanized the HBCU Glaucoma Awareness Initiative.

African Americans are 6 to 8 times more likely to develop glaucoma than European-derived individuals. A parent or sibling with glaucoma increases individual risk for the disease by 20%. Additional risk factors are: history of diabetes, history of extreme near-sightedness, or use of steroids for an extended period of time.

GRF, founded in 1978, is the oldest and most experienced national institution dedicated to its mission: to protect the sight and independence of people with glaucoma through research and education, and ultimately, to find the cure. Prior to Michelle’s challenge, GRF responded to the culturally-specific challenges presented by glaucoma in the African American community with parallel efforts in both research, and outreach. Initial outreach efforts included the creation of an informational brochure tailored to the African American community and distributed at no cost to anyone who inquired. Prior to 2004, approximately 25,000 copies had been distributed each year.

Upon receipt of Michelle’s letter, GRF recognized an opportunity to bring personalized information to the African American community through the students of the HBCUS. GRF polled the HBCUs to gauge their interest in receiving and using GRF materials. Feedback was provided on the ultimate goal: to get the information to the younger generation, with the potential of protecting not only their sight, but in their discussions within their families, getting the message to older generations as well. Overwhelmingly, the schools expressed their interest to participate. Several schools requested, and received, bulk quantities of the brochure.

Having identified this vital need and with the leadership of GRF board member Michael L. Penn Sr. (1960, Tennessee State University), GRF framed the idea of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Glaucoma Awareness Initiative. A Leadership Committee, comprised of leaders from the business, community, faith and health communities, oversees the operation and direction of the initiative. The goal of the GRF HBCU Glaucoma Awareness Initiative is to provide 70,000 information brochures to all 100+ campuses for distribution to incoming freshmen in 2007: to provide university, academic and health leaders an optimum scientific overview of the situation, a chance for these leaders to share health advocacy strategies on their various campuses: and an orientation on how resources available for the outreach effort are made possible by this initiative at convocations in selected areas, and to launch an extensive national consciousness-raising campaign, to raise awareness in the African American community.

“The HBCU campuses provide a distinguished educational forum and an arena that encourages open and candid family discussions around health issues,” says John Thompson (1973, Southern University, Baton Rouge), founding member of the HBCU Glaucoma Awareness Initiative Leadership Committee. “Glaucoma awareness is an ideal area for cooperation between GRF and the HBCUs,” he reports, “and I believe this will ultimately reinforce the benefit of collaborative ways to address other diseases of concern to our community as well. We look forward to these partnerships.”