African Americans and Predominately White Colleges

Being a black student in college itself is hard, but most believe that being at a predominately white college or university adds a different element to the equation. But is this really true? A report released to MSNBC by the government said that “more than three times as many black people live in prison cells as in college dorms.” If you take a look around at the average class here on campus, you will find that there are only a handful of black students in each class. There are no colleges or universities that are segregated by racial boundaries; therefore, every individual is allowed to attend the college or university of their choice. So what makes a black person choose to attend a predominately white college or university? When people are looking to attend a certain college or university, the foremost aspect that they should look at is curriculum. After the list institutions have been narrowed down, it is then time to focus on location, size, diversity, distance, cost, and other aspects.

An article by the Associated Press features Amy Stuart Wells, a professor of sociology and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. It was reported that Wells said, “Black students are more likely to attend segregated schools with high concentrations of poverty, less qualified teachers, lower expectations, and a less demanding curriculum.” This tells us that the majority of black students choose to attend predominately black colleges or universities. When determining which institution of higher learning to attend, one should consider what is best and more suitable for them and their future goals. It would be somewhat pointless to go to a performing arts college or university when you want to become a nuclear engineer. That would be similar to going to a soccer camp when your true interest is in playing basketball. This is why it is important to make decisions wisely.

Brandon Pride, freshman in animal science, stated, “I decided to come to a predominately white university because I felt that it was the best chance for me to obtain my degree.” Not only does he attend N.C. State to pursue his desired major, he said that it is also “looks good when filling out applications” in the future for jobs.

Shimere Keel, a freshman in mathematics education, felt that going to a historically black college and university would be like “having a repeat of high school” because she would see a lot of familiar faces and doing a lot of the same things that she did while in high school. With N.C. State being such a large university, diversity is more prominent than at a historically black College and University. Keel said, “a white school takes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me to be in a different environment and challenges me to be diverse.”

Being black on a predominately white campus may not mean the same thing to everyone, but it definitely shows that we are not afraid to surround ourselves with others who do not look like ourselves. We are willing to explore new things and challenge ourselves to a larger campus environment, all while obtaining the degree of our choice. So each individual determines their own fate and destiny if they are black at a predominately white institution, not others, not the media, and not stereotypes.