Being a Black at Penn State

"Apply to a historically black college" my uncles always told me. "You will feel more at home since you are surrounded with those that are just like you."

HBC

So, when I made my college decision, I already acknowledge the fact that I am going to be at a school where there are not too many people of my color. It is mainly going to be caucasians, which is weird for me because I grew up in a neighborhood predominately African Americans and Hispanics.

Old Racist signs in the Past

Racism still exists. Some people believe the opposite since it is not common for people to be straightforward with their beliefs or be extremely aggressive with their ideologies as it was in the past. There are not, for what I know of,  people running around calling Mexicans spics or calling African Americans niggers or calling whites crackers and so on due to the fact that there will be harsh criticisms or judgements amongst the people that do so.

Instead, it is very subtle. I love being a student at Penn State. I love the students, teachers, the environment, and everything about it. However, there are scenarios where me being a minority plays a huge factor on the way how I am viewed.

My friends and I in front of the We Are Statue

For example, when I am at parties, some males and females expect me to be automatically amazing at dancing. Well, I heard people tell me I am a good dancer, but to make the assumption that I know how to "dab", a specific dance that is created by minorities, is kinda offensive.

"Dabbing"

Or my favorite, are you on the football team? Don't get me wrong, I would love to be on the football team. However, I am not. Some football players literally made it to Penn State due to the fact that they are extremely athletic. It is to a point where their grades our ignored since Penn State needs stellar athletes to represent our school. So, the connotation behind it can be seen as some what offensive if I am linked to this reason on how I made it to Penn State.

But the thin line that really distinguish if something can be considered racist or not is based off a person's judgement. Someone can literally read this blog post, and wonder how do these examples make someone seem racist? On the other hand, other people can agree and realize that not all black people are amazing dancers or all because I am a big black person, that does not mean that I play football. Why can't I be a big soccer player? Or why not a lacrosse defender? Why football? The main point of this blog is to emphasize that of course, being a minority has its perks and weaknesses, but for those minorities that pulls the race card every time, sometimes the situation is not always racist. However, sometimes it is. It is not a thing we can surpass since some people's ignorance is not intentional, they just simply do not know better. But you got to learn how to cope and adapt.

Not every minority can fit in a predominately white school like Penn State, but I can. I love the people here at Penn State. Of course I notice color, but it is not going to make me want to stop talking to you because your race is different from mine. However, being a minority can be hard so I just want everyone to not show affirmative action towards us, but to be respectful and more understanding of us. That's all. Its hard being in an environment where there are not too many people of color, so it is hard to relate or get us because of this. But there is a certain way how to show respect. It is not what you say, it is about how you say it.