A few weeks ago, I attended a program sponsored by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. During the program, Director of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion Dr. Jamie Riley presented his research on African-American males and their experience with racism or discrimination on college campuses.
For the entirety of the presentation, I could not help but to drift into my own thoughts, dwelling on my own experiences as a black male on a predominately white institution. Many of the counter-narratives and stories Riley told lined up with my own journey in undergraduate college life.
Leaving the program, I decided that I wanted to go to Chick-fil-A. Walking towards the building, a young lady was coming towards me. She looked up, looked back down and walked off the empty sidewalk even though there was ample room for her to walk passed me. I honestly may not have thought anything of it, but in her brief glace she gave me that famous look I've received so many times in my life. Without saying any words, she let me know exactly how she felt. This look still cuts just as deep now as it did years ago when it first happened.
Walking down the street, it was broad daylight, and we were in a very open area. However, she looked terrified and seemed to look through me. She didn't see me; she saw a threat, someone who could possibly do her harm. Usually, I can shrug gestures like these off and keep on with my day. However, on this day I couldn't. Ever since that day, I have been thinking more critically about my tenure at Longwood and my personal journey in my undergraduate career.
From being pulled over by four police cars dropping off a friend because our graduation tassel hanging in the window could be a "possible distraction while driving," to a professor asking me if I registered with the basketball team, I can vividly remember every instance where I felt like I did not belong. There are countless similar occurrences, and the saddest part about it is that I am sure that my experience is not unique to many other male African-American college students.
Every college student has to deal with many issues. However, I believe that being on a campus where you are a small percentage, in an already very small percentage of students, it comes with an extra weight to carry. For black males, I feel that the support system is almost nonexistent.
I already know how I felt, but I wanted to see if other black males on our campus are experiencing the same thing. I spoke to Travonte' Graves and De'jon Bryant on this issue, and they were very candid with their experiences. During the conversation, I found three main themes.
First, as black males, our burdens and experiences are necessary to help us grow and prepare us for the "real world." Travonte', who is a transfer student from Virginia Union University, a Historically Black University, felt like Longwood was a smaller scale version of what we can expect when we graduate. He also expressed that racism is everywhere, so dealing with it is inevitable.
Second, our problem is not the extreme examples of racism, but the ignorance of the majority of the people we interact with. Travonte' let me know that he felt many of his interactions have been "forced." We are made to work with one another in an organized or academic setting. However, rarely will a majority of people transpose that same interaction into a social setting.
De'jon said many times a majority of the things he hears and goes through he has to humor because people just don't know any better. Small things like the way he wears his hair intrigues people to ask questions which could be very offensive, but because he understands where many of the comments come from, he just laughs it off and uses it as a way to educate others.
This moves into the last major part of our discussion: the burden of attempting to combat the stereotypical views of black males in the media. In the conversation, we expressed that it is almost expected for us to be loud, aggressive and struggle with our schoolwork. We are working like we have something to prove, not only to ourselves, but also to the people that may think less of us because of the statics and ideas of black males that are so commonly thrown around.
Despite the struggle of having to be perfect and defusing the stigma of the angry black male, hyper sexualized and academically inferior to our white counterparts, I have had some positive interactions with many people on this campus. My college life has not been surrounded with racist remarks or constant problems. I have had many healthy relationships and interactions with a variety of races, backgrounds and beliefs.
With any intercultural communication, the biggest issue with us all is not that we are overtly racist or judgmental towards others but that many are ignorant to the fact that they may be culturally insensitive at times. I challenge us all to take a look at ourselves and ask if we are fighting the problem or aiding to advance it.
