It is that time of the year, high school seniors graduate with hunger in their eyes looking forward to the ‘real world’. Waiting to hear their names be called and ready to start a new chapter, college. College, a place where scholars are made and one is exposed to widening their knowledge. A place known to be the best four years of your life, to find your circle of true friendships. However, there is one concept that is not mentioned during the tour or pamphlets, it is also a place where there is institutional racism. According to mic.com in 2013 Georgetown University’s center on Education and the Workforce, “white students are still overrepresented in the nation’s 468 elite institutions. Even though many white and minority students are unprepared …show more content…
If there is such a thing as racial diversity within universities than why do according to univstats.com do only 14.10% of the population make up for blacks or African Americans and 14.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino? In 2010 the number of white students who received a bachelors degree was 72.9% while the number of black students was 10.3% and 8.8% for Hispanics based on the National Center for Education Statistics6. In Fact according to the website brookings.edu the US, educational system is "one of the most unequal in the industrialized world" when students, "receive dramatically different learning opportunities based on their social status". 7 Racial inequality is very much alive, especially white privilege despite what universities have claimed to the public. The website chronicle.com posted on August 2013 and article about white white privilege on university campuses …show more content…
Therefore, when students of color attempt to describe their feelings of being uncomfortable or feeling alienated on predominantly white campuses, they are likely to be viewed as ‘complainers’ or ‘paranoid.’”11 It can be accepted that whites may never see the racial inequality on campus, because of the environment they grew up in and prior to taking a diversity class were never exposed to racial inequality. An example being on the University of California, San Diego on April 2016, a day prior to the universities students acceptance day, a group of white students with hoodies were seen writing racist comments in front of the Raza Resource Center according to US Today College, the words “build the wall,” “deport them all,” “f— Mexicans,” and “Mexico will pay”12 were written in chalk. Unfortunately not all the messages were able to be erased in time before the event the next morning. On another California university there was also a racist incident regarding black students on campus. On October 7, 2015 the Alpha Phi sorority and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity from UCLA were put under fire for having a “Kanye Western” theme party where the party goers dressed in “baggy clothes, plumped lips and padded bottoms”13, in addition, the photos posted
“College campuses are not dominated by widespread racial/ethnic segregation and the racial/ethnic clustering that does occur isn’t impeding intergroup contact.” (578, Hoeffner and Hoeffner). Throughout the essay, the writer continues to provide facts and sources on the information that diversity is not a problem on college campuses. She quotes evidence that states that college students are getting a “variety of positive educational outcomes that result from being educated in a diverse environment.” (578, Hoeffner and Hoeffner).
In 1994 Renown College Professor Nikki Giovanni published a breath taking book that contains guidance to black college students on how to academically apply their selves in College, and she teaches them how to deal with the ignorance of white people from sharp tonged comebacks to gaining a Professors respect. Along the way The Article “Campus Racism 101” states Giovanni has acquired a tenure, she has a teaching position for life at the predominately white student body Virginia Tech. (Writing on the River 11) Nikki Giovanni’s “Campus Racism 101” gives advice to black students on how to succeed in College, appeals to Giovanni’s credibility, and appeals to the emotions of racism all in order to educate how black College students need to deal with ignorance on a College campus.
With regards to the opinion that the existence of HBCUs is in fact, a mellowed form of racism, one must first remember the history behind the origins of HBCUs Many people believe that these institutions have outlived their purpose because we live in a fully integrated society and these institutions stand as hallmarks of segregation. However, by thinking this way is not an analyzing the complete picture because one must bear in mind that HBCUs are old and hallowed institutions of higher learning established in a time when talented, desiring and tenacious Afric...
College is full of new experiences, new people, and new communities, and many universities encourage the exchange of new ideas and diversity among students. This year, the University of Chicago sent out a letter to all of its incoming freshmen informing them that in keeping with their beliefs of freedom of expression and healthy discussion and debate, the school would not provide “safe spaces” or “trigger warnings”. Senior Sophie Downes found this letter to be misleading in many ways, including in the definitions of safe spaces and trigger warnings, as well as the issues it was addressing. Downes claims that the letter was misrepresenting the school, but also was using the letter as a sort
The historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are fledgling to compete with Predominately White Institutions (PWIs). HBCU were established to serve the educational needs of black Americans. Before HBCU college was create blacks were generally was denied admission to traditionally all white institutions. Since black Americans was prohibited from whites schools HBCUs became the principle means for providing postsecondary education. There are several reasons why all blacks’ schools does not compete with predominately white schools. HBCU’s most of the time do not keep their accreditation, their tests scores are very low, and do not get as much funding
Imagine this; the year is 1836. You are a 17-year-old student interested in learning more about the world around you; however, such an opportunity won’t come your way because you are black. Due to this fact you have no hope of furthering your education past the reading, writing, and arithmetic their slave masters taught your parents. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. The minds of many African American’s go to waste due to individual ignorance of their people and thus of themselves. Historically Black Colleges and Universities were put into effect to educate the black mind and eliminate the ignorance. The discussion of whether Historically Black Colleges and Universities are still necessary in the 21st century has taken place in recent years. Within the discussion many debate that due to the fact that the world is no longer like it was in the 1800’s, the time period in which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were created, the purpose of them no longer exists. However, the cultural significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities seems to be overlooked by those who argue their importance and relevance in a time where blacks have the option of attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The purpose and grounds on which Historically Black Colleges and Universities were developed are still being served. The need to increase efforts to not only rouse, but support Historically Black Colleges and Universities is necessary now more than ever in order to preserve our past, fulfill the purpose of our present, and ensure our future.
Clearly, HBCUs provide several benefits to African-American students. Not only have they helped to combat the cycle of discrimination that minority students experienced before the civil rights initiatives of the 1960s, but they strive to provide a warm, supportive and inclusive academic environment that addresses African-American college students as a whole person. Additionally, HBCUs are increasing their efforts to ensure that higher education is accessible, affordable and achievable for individuals with unique socioeconomic challenges. Despite obstacles, historically Black institutions will continue to play a vital and significant role in the fabric of higher education.
As previously stated, it appears there are persistant barriers present that hinder enrollment, retention, and rate of graduation for African Americans in higher education. It is imperative that educational concerns for African Americans are addressed at all levels, but it is particularly important at the post secondary stage. Higher levels of education are associated with both lower unemployment rates and a higher income. If...
In 2001 statistics reported by the United States Department of Education indicated that during 1997-1998 African American students received 8.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Concurrently, Hispanic students as well as Asian or Pacific Islander students received 6.0%, while American Indian/Alaskan Native students only accounted for .7%. Although statistics from agencies who report differ, clearly on a national level, minority students
Solorzano, D., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American college students. Journal of Negro Education, 69(1/2), 60-73. Sue, D. W. (2010). The 'Secondary'.
Published in American Educational Research Journal, this paper gives insight into how racial diversity stretches beyond educational engagement and social composition. The significant difference made by diversity-related efforts, such as hybridized racial interactions and policies is fully explored. The findings of the study presented can be generalized to the argument of institutional racism as this piece presents rationale against it. The limitations of paper is the insufficient detail regarding educational context needed to illustrate the steps institutions can take to apply diversity.
The practice of ethnic separation and segregation is common on every college and university campus. Since this practice has happened through history, it is remarkable that this has only been recognized recently as a true problem (Jacobs, 2). Segregation has hampered America as long as it has existed. Ethnicity and segregation was nearly the cause of this country splitting apart during the Civil War. Since then reformation and hard work has attempted to bring unity to this country. Though today, college students have regressed, university pupils are "standing by" their own and are not branching out to those who are unlike them in ethnicity. People in general, but more specifically college students are segregated in their lives ( Kramer, 12). From the way they act, what they do or do not do, the type of people they socialize with, to where people sit - students are split. College students group together as a result of ethnicity at events and establishments or locations on university campuses.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. (2006).Black Student College Graduation Rates Remain Low, But Modest Progress Begins to Show. Retrieved from: http://www.jbhe.com/features/50_blackstudent_gradrates.html
Some colleges and learning institutions in America are not much in favor of diversity, but East Tennessee University has created a niche by its love for diversity. Each year, students from various countries are granted admission, making diversity a much discussed topic. But the event that occurred during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest will not be quickly forgotten. A peaceful protest by some black students which was termed, “Black lives matters” was met with a horrific twist as a white student was seen with a gorilla mask dangling banana on a string in the faces of the black protesters. The image of the student carrying a sack with the Confederate flag intimidating the black students was all over social media. The incident outraged many
College: it’s the four years wrinkled relatives refer to as “the best times of [their] lives,” “[their] prime years,” “[their] home.” From parading school mascots on t-shirts well into their sixties to putting school logos on the back of their cars, colleges have been a great source of pride and joy throughout time, but unfortunately, that is slowly changing. With universities allowing speakers who have public positions to speak on their campuses that campus groups have designated as offensive, colleges have become vulnerable to the intolerance, inequality and bigotry in a space that is supposedly meant to be a safe abode for everyone.