7%.
Let me reiterate: Stony Brook University’s black population is only about 7%.
And for the record, the number of black faculty is even less than this single-digit statistic.
To someone like myself, who grew up in the Stony Brook area, I was impressed when I first arrived. The Stony Brook area, itself, is only about 1% black, and my graduating class of about 600 students only had about 10 other black, or mixed-race (I say mixed-race, because not all who were mixed-race identified as black) students. However, as I’ve continued my studies and surrounded myself with a more diverse array of students, I’ve found myself disappointed in the true lack of diversity and lack of representation.
I’ve noticed that most black and latinx students are only admitted through the Educational Opportunity Program and the amount of faculty that look like me are few and far between- especially in the sciences department. As a senior, I’m almost done with my tenure at Stony Brook University, I have only encountered two black professors in the sciences. While many efforts for diversity inclusion have been put forth in the past few years, (See: Stony Brook University’s Diversity Inclusion Plan) this is mainly on the part of grassroots efforts of organizations like the Black Student Union. In fact, I’ve come to notice that most programs and events on campus that are catered to black students only come from predominantly black clubs and organizations.
Drawing on the FUBU company mantra and Solange Knowles, apparently, things for us have to also be by us.
For those of you who don’t know, an HBCU is a Historically Black College and University. This includes schools like Howard, Lincoln, and Spelman that have predominantly black students and faculty, and emphasize a community of black-oriented culture and education (Think about The Cosby Show spin-off series, “A Different World”). HBCUs were bred out of America’s racial divide when black students were overwhelmingly rejected from white universities, they created their own spaces, their own organizations, as well as their own fraternities and sororities.
Conversely, PWIs, are Predominantly White Institutions. This label is basically an identifier for any school that’s not an HBCU. Stony Brook University falls into this category.
For the black students on campus our presence often gets lost in the mix. So, we create our own clubs and off-campus events to connect with one another. By creating our own communities and niches, it almost seems as though many of the black students on campus have attempted to create an HBCU experience at a PWI. For example, we have a huge group chat for the students of color to stay connected, support our fellow students of color with their own businesses, host our own parties, and embrace our blackness in all of its varieties and shades.
Every event is a “movie” with it’s own promotional video, general body meetings are either “woke” or “mixxy,” and every sentence is followed by a “fire” emoji. This is black-American culture at its finest, but this close-knit community seems reminiscent of what happens regularly at an HBCU. In fact, during homecoming weekend, I noticed scores of black students from Stony Brook University, alumni and current students alike, going out of their way to attend Howard University’s notorious Homecoming in D.C. To me, it seems like an effort to keep the black community alive at a PWI through HBCU teachings- but that’s just my opinion.
I asked a few students about how they feel about being a black student at Stony Brook University and whether it’s possible to attain an HBCU experience when you go to a school like Stony Brook University.
Cassidy, a junior, shared her experience with me. Having previously attended an HBCU, I found her perspective enlightening. She transferred to Stony Brook University more so out of obligation, rather than choice, and reflects on her experience with nostalgia. She said, “Just being in an HBCU community is a great feeling. Seeing so many young, black faces on their way to success and also rooting you to succeed is so inspiring. In addition, the professors push you and help you out so much. Everyone wants you to win. In my opinion, I don’t think it’s possible to have an HBCU experience here because until you’ve been to an HBCU you can’t even fully understand what the experience is. It’s indescribable…I think we can try to seek some experiences but I don’t think we can come even close.”
A huge part of the black college experience is the presence of “Divine Nine” fraternities and sororities. These are historically black fraternities and sororities developed in the early 1900s that had goals of promoting excellence among black communities in the spheres of professional development, academics, and community service. You can find more information here.
Mohammad, a senior, who puts together many programs on behalf of his divine nine fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, said, “I think we should seek [something similar to an HBCU experience]. We can make that happen by the events that we have. HBCUs have certain events like cotillions and balls that I feel like a lot of people don’t get to see, and a lot of people miss out on. I would like to have been involved in that. For example, my fraternity has the Sapphire Ball which is a formal event meant to bring our community together. Personally, I want to look proper and dress up. The point of things like the Sapphire Ball is to show other members of the campus that we are a presence, and we can have a clean side to our ‘ratchetness,’ because who says that we can’t be both? Just because we act a certain way around friends and peers, that doesn’t mean we don’t know how to switch it up and have formal events.”
Aaron, a senior, looked at our Stony Brook experience with a more academic lens, “Going to a PWI like Stony Brook is very interesting. The school is primarily white and Asian, so when we speak about diversity, there is not much of it on this campus- especially when it concerns faculty and staff. Stony Brook is a great institution that fosters the development of some, but not all, of their students. I believe most faculty and staff tend to focus more on the white or Asian students, rather than students of color. So, in this way, I wish I had chosen an HBCU because I wish I was surrounded by more people that looked liked me and that have made it in the field of study that I am currently in.”
Jade, a senior, shared her opinion with me as well. When I asked her whether it’s possible to have an HBCU experience at a school that’s only 7% black, she put it very eloquently, “Yes, it is possible, but extremely hard. We need to all come together and be on the same page about it though. We’re small in numbers so it will literally take us all. And I wouldn’t say we should ‘seek that experience’ because that ‘experience’ isn’t an experience- it is just unity, and that’s what we need.”
While opinions may conflict and vary across the board, I believe that Jade said it best. Regardless of where we go to school, we are young, educated, and black and what we need more than anything is unity. This sentiment is particularly important in a Trump era, full of “alt-right” uprisings. Even if Stony Brook University is not an HBCU, that does not mean that we can’t have the same sense of community and seek to create spaces for ourselves.
We must continue to be involved.
We must continue to support each other.
We must continue to advocate for ourselves.
Voices:
Cassidy, a junior, is a Psychology major involved in ASU and CSO on campus.
Mohammad, a senior, majors in Africana Studies and Business Marketing. He is the President of Phi Beta Sigma, a historically black fraternity; Public Relations Officer for NAACP; on the Personal Development Committee of SAAB, and is affiliated with ASU
Aaron, is a senior and Athletic Training major who is also involved in the campus community as President of Stony Brook Gospel Choir & the Personal Development chair for SAAB.
Jade, a senior, studies Multidisciplinary Studies focusing on English, Political Science, and Psychology. She is the Head of Event Coordinating for Black Womyn’s Association and a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International.
For those who want to get more involved, below is a listing of all the black-led clubs, fraternities, sororities and organizations on campus, courtesy of the Black Student Union:
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
African Student Union
Black Student Union
Black Womyn’s Association
COALITION
Caribbean Students Organization
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Gospel Choir
Hairitage
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc.
Haitian Students Organization
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc.
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.
Latin American Students Organization
MALIK Fraternity Inc.
Minority Association of Pre-Health Students
NAACP
Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.
Phi Delta Psi Fraternity Inc.
Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Phi Rho Epsilon Sorority Inc.
Sigma Lambda Upsilon/ Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc.
Student African American Brotherhood
Student African American Sisterhood
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
As a final note, I just want to give a shout out to all the people reminding the campus community that we are a presence.
Gifs courtesy of Giphy, Pinimg, Tumblr