Here at Wittenberg,
out of our almost 2,000 total students, 81% of our populace is white. The other
19% is a culmination of 7% African American students, 4% of students classified
under two or more races, 3% Hispanic/Latino, 2% non-resident Aliens, 1% Asian,
and another 1% of students not classified under a specific race (CollegeBoard.org).
Comparatively, 77.7% of Americans throughout the country are white, 13.2%
African American, 2.4% classified under two or more races, 17.1%
Hispanic/Latino, and 5.3% Asian(United States Census Bureau). The numbers alone
express Wittenberg’s lack of diversity. Coming from a more diverse Pacific
Northwest America, I immediately noticed the lack of diversity on campus upon
my arrival. I was surrounded by nothing but white people! The issue at hand was
that because so many of the students were white, but that other groups had no
representation. Here and there I saw a black student and just by what my eyes
could tell me that was the most diversity I’d seen on my first day at
Wittenberg, the outstanding 7% of African American students at Wittenberg. It
wasn’t until later through the week that I noticed someone who wasn’t black or
white.
Black freshman Devyn notes that “all the black kids, we know each other”, a bold statement that holds foreboding truth in respect to intergroup interactions across different ethnicities. When Devyn said this to me it opened my eyes. Most black students don’t personally know each other, but after some time at Witt we’ve all begun to recognize each other. This being my second semester at Wittenberg, there are very few black faces I don’t recognize, even with the large incoming freshman class. The more chilling implication of Devyn’s observation is that is sheds light on students’ inability to have intergroup interactions. Wittenberg’s black students know each other because they stick together. We sit together in the Central Dining Room (CDR), dance with each other at parties, and even study together. There are a small number of black students who break this expectation and branch out into non-black predominant social groups. With white students making up 72% more of the student populace than black students, sticking what they know is the only way many black students can be comfortable. Though as minority students we view this behavior “as cultural support within a larger unsupportive environment”(Allan et. al. 292), white students have “interpreted ethnic group clustering as racial segregation.(Allan et. al. 292)” Because we are doing what we see as the best solution to enhancing our campus climate, as black students we are creating the impression that we don’t wish to integrate with the larger white community within Wittenberg. These misunderstanding’s create a cycle of segregation on Wittenberg’s campus, an isochromatic process in which we divide ourselves from within and homogenize our understanding of our university’s various ethnic population.
Research supports that a diverse campus promotes involvement and school attachment across all races and ethnicities, minorities in particular. “No matter how outstanding the academic institution, ethnic minority students can feel alienated if their representation on campus is small”(Allan et. al. 285) in the same way that minorities are represented at Wittenberg. Devyn reports frustration regarding the diversity on Wittenberg’s campus. He spoke passionately as he explained that “Wittenberg isn’t the place for [him]”,and that “it’s just too white here.” He expressed to me his issues with social structures on campus and his belief that many of the white students on campus aren’t welcoming to minority students. He even told me that he feels a professor of his is far less lenient and much more indifferent with his black students.
Black freshman Devyn notes that “all the black kids, we know each other”, a bold statement that holds foreboding truth in respect to intergroup interactions across different ethnicities. When Devyn said this to me it opened my eyes. Most black students don’t personally know each other, but after some time at Witt we’ve all begun to recognize each other. This being my second semester at Wittenberg, there are very few black faces I don’t recognize, even with the large incoming freshman class. The more chilling implication of Devyn’s observation is that is sheds light on students’ inability to have intergroup interactions. Wittenberg’s black students know each other because they stick together. We sit together in the Central Dining Room (CDR), dance with each other at parties, and even study together. There are a small number of black students who break this expectation and branch out into non-black predominant social groups. With white students making up 72% more of the student populace than black students, sticking what they know is the only way many black students can be comfortable. Though as minority students we view this behavior “as cultural support within a larger unsupportive environment”(Allan et. al. 292), white students have “interpreted ethnic group clustering as racial segregation.(Allan et. al. 292)” Because we are doing what we see as the best solution to enhancing our campus climate, as black students we are creating the impression that we don’t wish to integrate with the larger white community within Wittenberg. These misunderstanding’s create a cycle of segregation on Wittenberg’s campus, an isochromatic process in which we divide ourselves from within and homogenize our understanding of our university’s various ethnic population.
Research supports that a diverse campus promotes involvement and school attachment across all races and ethnicities, minorities in particular. “No matter how outstanding the academic institution, ethnic minority students can feel alienated if their representation on campus is small”(Allan et. al. 285) in the same way that minorities are represented at Wittenberg. Devyn reports frustration regarding the diversity on Wittenberg’s campus. He spoke passionately as he explained that “Wittenberg isn’t the place for [him]”,and that “it’s just too white here.” He expressed to me his issues with social structures on campus and his belief that many of the white students on campus aren’t welcoming to minority students. He even told me that he feels a professor of his is far less lenient and much more indifferent with his black students.