Being black in an all white school

[MintBerryCrunch]

I have pretty much gone to either racially diverse schools or majority black schools k through 12. However, the school I am looking at transferring in to is more than 90% white and approximately 2% black (it is also very small so it is really just a handful of black students). I like the school, but this is a big concern. Has anyone else here dealt with a similar situation, and if so, how did you handle it?

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[bisonboy]

I graduated from UT Austin. Huge school (53,000 students) and it was mainly white and asian. I loved my experiences there, but I felt a little bit uncorfortable at first with the fact that there were only 2000 Black students and of those 2000, only 500 were male. At first I noticed people didn't want to give me a chance, considering there were like 3 black people in the entire pre-medical track! I learned how to become friends with all types of people and now I am glad to hve had that experience. I think even though we were a small group, our presence was known, but it's good to not limit yourself to just chillin with black friends. I ended up appreciating a lot of different cultures and I still have mad love for all of my foreigners! LOL

It will be what you make of it, MintBerryCrunch, all you have to do is try to meet new people, but know you probably will run into some racists. it is what it is.

 

[jaibrown]

I graduated from Texas Tech..In Lubbock, TX (i.e., middle of nowhere West Texas). I didn't have an issue. But then again, I was born in Albuquerque, NM. My friends growing up were all white and hispanic. Then I moved to rural Connecticut in middle school. We finally landed in a majority black region of Dallas, Texas when I was a sophomore in high school. So most of my life I've been the only person of color. Its pretty much the norm for me and what i've always been comfortable with. The opposite is a lot more uncomfortable for me then anything else lol.

Not to say i never ever ever experienced any racism or stereotyping in my entire life or I haven't walked into a room and felt out of place before (feeling out of place is far different then feeling insecure though. I've never felt insecure or inferior due to my color). However, I can only count 2 obvious and blatant racist experiences I've had in my 25 years of life, far less then what people would assume. This also can be due to the fact that i wasn't raised in a very racially conscious or obsessed household so I didn't go out "looking" for racism (hence i didn't find it). I do think i'm a likeable person regardless of color. I have friends from many different countries and my closest relationships are with people who look different then me. As a medical professional the ability to have confidence in yourself and walk into any room, and speak to people of any color is an invaluable trait to have. If you've lived in majority black areas your entire life, I think you going to a majority white school will do nothing but serve you positively. Look at it as a test of confidence.

 

[AdamAustin]

Gone are the days when racism was the prime factor in most of the medical school. But believe that your talent has got more importance than the color of skin. So try to get out of racist factor & share a friendly relation with everyone.

 

[verynice]

A friend of mine goes to a hbc and has made some really good friends there. It is about what you make of it. If you put yourself out there with intentions of steetching your comfort zone, you're going to be fine and maybe even find some life long friends.

 

[shockazulu]

I have pretty much gone to either racially diverse schools or majority black schools k through 12. However, the school I am looking at transferring in to is more than 90% white and approximately 2% black (it is also very small so it is really just a handful of black students). I like the school, but this is a big concern. Has anyone else here dealt with a similar situation, and if so, how did you handle it?

I went to all black public schools K-12 so when I went off to college I crossed all HBCUs off of my short list just because I wanted to experience something different. Honestly I havent noticed anything different, except when you're the only black person in a class, because people will say the most ignorant things you can imagine. If you aren't white in America and want to be successful at anything you have to grow thick skin. It absolutely sucks but that's the hand we're dealt.

 

[bromedical]

If you aren't white in America and want to be successful at anything you have to grow thick skin. It absolutely sucks but that's the hand we're dealt.

Yeah. I think it's especially bad for Asians, to be honest.

 

[shockazulu]

Yeah. I think it's especially bad for Asians, to be honest.

How so?

 

[NSLDX]

How so?

I know there are a ton of stereotypes placed upon Asian Americans. Everything from the common "being good at math, and bad at driving" to the uncommon "Un-American Communists." I think every group has their own unique stereotypes placed upon them however.

 

[ram006]

If you aren't white in America and want to be successful at anything you have to grow thick skin. It absolutely sucks but that's the hand we're dealt.

Agreed. I had a pretty strange experience in med school as the only Mexican-American in my class of >200. I guess I don't fit the stereotypical appearance that people had in mind. That whole issue entirely aside, the number of dumb**** comments I heard over 4 years was incredible. They came from all directions: "friends," girls I was dating, attendings that intentionally called me Chuy instead of my actual name. The one thing that really got me was when those people would try to strip me of my cultural identity by refusing to accept that I speak Spanish or was a "real Mexican". It's crazy but I could have a conversation with someone/in front of them with another person in Spanish and they still would try to deny my ethnicity because I don't "look" Mexican.

I'm not entirely certain if my appearance made people feel like they could say ignorant garbage without offending me, but it certainly seemed to. As if making a comments about "brown people" wouldn't offend me... Oh right, my mom is "brown" and my grandfather is bi-racial because Mexico is a country not a race and there are, in fact, black people in Mexico. Mind=blown. Wtf my blood pressure is going up just thinking about it.

People will assume you're only there because of affirmative action(heard that one myself), that you must have some experience with "the hood" or "the barrio" in my case and they'll assume that as a black man you'll be a key addition to their intramural basketball team because, obviously, you can dunk. You just have to know who you are and why you're there.

The one mistake I think I made was letting it create resentment and anger within me, because it did. I spent the last two years there incredibly defensive,angry and in the mind set that I was alone and was trapped there until graduation. So I can't stress the thick skin advice enough, I probably could have done better at it.

 

[shockazulu]

Agreed. I had a pretty strange experience in med school as the only Mexican-American in my class of >200. I guess I don't fit the stereotypical appearance that people had in mind. That whole issue entirely aside, the number of dumb**** comments I heard over 4 years was incredible. They came from all directions: "friends," girls I was dating, attendings that intentionally called me Chuy instead of my actual name. The one thing that really got me was when those people would try to strip me of my cultural identity by refusing to accept that I speak Spanish or was a "real Mexican". It's crazy but I could have a conversation with someone/in front of them with another person in Spanish and they still would try to deny my ethnicity because I don't "look" Mexican.

I'm not entirely certain if my appearance made people feel like they could say ignorant garbage without offending me, but it certainly seemed to. As if making a comments about "brown people" wouldn't offend me... Oh right, my mom is "brown" and my grandfather is bi-racial because Mexico is a country not a race and there are, in fact, black people in Mexico. Mind=blown. Wtf my blood pressure is going up just thinking about it.

People will assume you're only there because of affirmative action(heard that one myself), that you must have some experience with "the hood" or "the barrio" in my case and they'll assume that as a black man you'll be a key addition to their intramural basketball team because, obviously, you can dunk. You just have to know who you are and why you're there.

The one mistake I think I made was letting it create resentment and anger within me, because it did. I spent the last two years there incredibly defensive,angry and in the mind set that I was alone and was trapped there until graduation. So I can't stress the thick skin advice enough, I probably could have done better at it.

You nailed it. Even in non-academic settings we are looked at as if we are only there to fill quotas and people wont consider you as being ¨really¨ black, Hispanic etc'if you can string together 2 or more coherent sentences. Like I said, I've heard some really ignorant stuff in the classroom and I do find it difficult to just shrug it off sometimes. Its also uncomfortable to be discussing a racial issue in a class, and you're the only (insert race here) in the class. Furthermore, if you do happen to speak out people will assume that you're speaking for the entire race, which can never be the case. Honestly, its more of a headache if nothing else, and gets annoying from time to time but like I said thats the hand we're dealt.

I never have a problem getting picked up to play ball in the rec center though.

 

[bisonboy]

Hahha yeah in some of my classes at UT a lot of people from small towns were like "wow, how did YOU know that". I embraced the element of surprise though, until it was no longer surprise and I became "one of the smart ones" lol