Yes, we need them and Black people need to have other options. An educational experience that works for one person may be detrimental to another. Personally, I don't think I would have thrived in a HBCU. The field and marketplace I had to enter upon graduation was/is populated mostly by white people. It was important for me to be exposed to white people on a day-to-day basis, in the dorm, in class, etc.

Another reason I would not have thrived is because I danced to the beat of my own drummer. I defined who I was as a Black person in context to my personal goals and experiences. The few experiences I had on predominantly Black college campuses was hurtful for me. There were conflicts relating to color, to family or background, to other superficial issues that I couldn't understand. I was learning more on my own about Black history and culture than the schools were teaching.

When I was a teenager, I started to look into the ethnic makeup of the boards of directors, the financial backers, etc. I was shocked to see that many of them where predominantly white. If this was so then how could HBCU's truly benefit Black students? Would white board members be able to appreciate and support real world education of Black students? I doubted it. So I went to a predominantly white college in the middle of a Black community, bordered by a large Jewish community and Italian community (Brooklyn, NY) and I became more socially aware and well-rounded as a result.

This is not to say that HBCU are not beneficial to some people. It just depends on their core developmental needs.

"Know thyself"

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you". So we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
-- Hebrews 13:5,6

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path"
--Morpheus in "The Matrix"

"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"- Dumbledore to Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets"