. >> rapper shawn combs had three names he talking about p. diddy, diddy, and puff daddy. controversial at all to have a two-year -- two years at howard and didn't get a degree but you brought him back and gave him a doctorate? >> i would say no controversy for me. let me be absolutely clear. i was never -- i can't say that it was controversial for me on that particular issue. not at all. >> why did you do it? >> i feel very strongly about that. this is a young man who attended howard university around the time i did, left howard university in good academic standing. i think it's unfortunate that news reports describe him as a colored dropout. the reality is that african americans in this country who attend higher education, some 75 to 80% do not finish because of financial circumstances. it has nothing to do with their academic aptitude. and when we talk about colored dropouts we paint people with a scarlett letter because we're saying to them that you did not succeed despite the fact that you went beyond your high school and attempted to go to college and because you did