THE GENUINE SCHOLAR – As a college administrator, a person who attended 3 predominantly White institutions (PWIs), and someone who has researched the experiences of Black students at PWIs, I have been one of the biggest advocates for creating resources for students of color at these type institutions such as cultural centers, student organizations, Black faculty/staff, and the recruitment of more Black students.

While giving my support for this population, I speak about the fact that Black students feel isolated on many of these campuses because they are outnumbered by a majority White student population and they often experience subtle forms of racism known as microaggressions. A lot of Black students feel that they are not wanted at PWIs and they feel that students of other races feel they do not belong.

A White student at Florida State University (FSU) took a picture of Black students during their market day and said the words “Welcome to FAMU…I mean FSU #MONKEYS EVERYWHERE.

I am quite impressed with this young lady because she had the guts to actually say it. Unfortunately, many people will not verbalize these type feelings publicly, but they will show it in their actions by the way they treat Black students at PWIs. This notion that racism is dead is a huge fallacy and we must accept that it is not dead so that we can properly address it and take steps to find real solutions.

While discussing this issue with a cousin of mine, he made a great point that further illuminates the notion that this is not just a case of one woman having these callous thoughts. He said that he does not know which is worse, the girl posting the status or the 17 people who “liked” it before she took it down. This is not a small issue and we must address these important topics of campus racial climate, microaggressions, racism, supremacy, and a host of other topics.

Source: http://thegenuinescholar.com/black-students-you-are-not-welcome-go-to-an-hbcu/