THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER on February 8, 2011.
I am an African American woman and a student at the UA. I couldn’t be more proud to be a Razorback and I imagine the rest of the student body feels the same.
However, with Black History Month in full force, I can’t help but acknowledge the progress we have yet to make as a campus and as a community.
According to the UA’s Fall 2010 Enrollment Report, only 5.3 percent of enrolled students at the university are African Americans — this is about 1,128 people, a small number compared to the 78.5 percent of Caucasians.
For me, these striking statistics give the word “minority” a whole new meaning.
Ron Jones, a close friend and fellow African American, wasn’t planning on going to college at the UA until he visited the university and fell in love with the campus.
Despite Jones’ excitement about being a Razorback, he has expressed a desire for a more unified student body. He says that students are always “sectional” especially at large events or places like the dining hall.
This is understandable in that people usually feel most comfortable when surrounded by others who are like themselves. However, I couldn’t help but agree when Jones said, “A primary goal of higher education is to prepare you for society, which can be less than comfortable.”
Eating lunch at Brough Commons exposes the very segregation Jones hopes will cease in the near future. Greeks sit with greeks. The Asian exchange students sit with other Asian exchange students.
These days, we don’t need to be told to sit with our own because we do it ourselves. But when one is black at a predominately white institution, self-segregation becomes a more sensitive issue — and all students are guilty of it.
In regard to classroom diversity, I have often been the only black person in many of my classes. This creates an interesting dynamic because people pay attention when I talk. My classmates usually expect me to sound differently — more “ethnic.” So I love surprising others with my great diction and grammar.
Another friend, Alice McMillan, vented to me about similar experiences at the university.
“Being black at the UA is definitely a challenge,” she said. “You get tested. The way you carry yourself, your demeanor and the way you respond to ignorance are things that you have to be prepared to handle.”
It’s a battle every day to work harder than the person next to you because being black means you have to challenge the stereotypes.
McMillan said it best: “I feel obligated to excel in class because I can’t have people thinking that they’re better than me just because I’m the black girl with the big lips and thick, curly hair who is just here because she lucked out and got some scholarship for just being black and not really college material.”
This is a perspective that many African Americans share. No one wants to feel singled out or different from the person sitting next to him or her, but the truth is that we are all different. It’s up to our generation to embrace our differences and move forward.
The racial divide on campus is also reflected throughout Fayetteville.
The lack of stylists, entertainment and clothing that relate to the black community cannot be ignored. Besides the University Program’s headliner concerts and the Interfraternity Council’s (IFC) “Row Week,” there’s a lack of entertainment featuring black artists.
Having a broader range of entertainers on and around campus, allows people to become more accustomed to different cultures. We must seek to understand and accept one another before we can advance to the next level as a society.
So in the spirit of Black History Month, I encourage everyone to reach out to people who are different from you and embrace what they have to offer. You might be surprised what you find.
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