Watching the (already small) population of Black students at the University of Georgia begin to fall was disheartening.
In 2020, my freshman year, the population was around 7%, but the next year it dropped to 6%, and it’s been wavering somewhere in this range for a while. I’m now in my senior year and the university hasn’t seen the numbers it used to in the past years. Of course, students graduate, which can contribute to these low numbers, but shouldn’t the school be accepting more students that fill in those gaps? Why are students transferring? Why is the percentage of Black students at this school not even in the double digits?
Right now, I’m the only Black person in my major. It doesn’t really bother me because the Special Education major is small already (there are around 25 or 30 of us at max). But I know this experience isn’t unique to me and there are several students who are the only person of color in their major or their classes. It can be scary being the only Black person in the room; sometimes you feel an underlying pressure to prove yourself so people can see past any stereotypes or assumptions they’ve already made up about you. I’ve definitely struggled with this, even though I know I’m more than capable of being successful and completing the path in front of me.
And outside of academics, it can feel even worse sometimes. The dating pool is not the best (especially as a Black woman, but that’s another story in itself), it can be harder to make friends, and trying out for things or putting in applications has another level of nerves added to it. It’s hard not always being the ideal person or the main model someone has in mind, but it’s also something you learn to work with and move on from and adapt to; wallowing only brings you down and then you don’t perform to the best of your ability, which causes you to succumb to the very same stereotypes and assumptions you were working to avoid.
I guess sometimes, unless you put on a uniform and make a touchdown or shoot three-pointers, it can feel like you’re nothing but a quota to fill. Like they admit a certain number of us just so it looks good on record, but they don’t actually care. This feeling is especially heightened when you remember that an alarming amount of areas on campus were built by enslaved people, and the plaque by The Arch talks about students leaving school to fight for the Confederacy in the “War for Southern Independence” which we all know just means they were in the Civil War fighting to keep slavery alive.
Thinking about things like that, paired with how the school still has buildings and colleges named after racist and discriminatory figureheads (despite numerous petitions to change them), really makes you feel like the school picks and chooses when it wants to uplift its Black students.
The College of Education has been named after the first African-American to earn a degree and graduate from the university, Mary Frances Early. There is also a new freshman dorm, Black-Diallo-Miller, named after the first three African-Americans (Henry A. Black, Mary Blackwell Diallo, and Kerry Rushin Miller) to enroll at UGA as freshmen and graduate later on. There are also special granite markers around Tate West Lawn to honor the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities (however the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated marker was vandalized with racist, white supremacist graffiti shortly after being unveiled).
And these sentiments are nice, but that lingering feeling of being placed on the backburner will always be there. I do appreciate the school’s effort to be more inclusive and knowledgeable, but the past can’t be erased, especially when the school was founded upon racist and discriminatory ideals. It’s still hard for quite a few minority-based clubs to get funding and proper advertisement, and the University does the bare minimum for Black History Month.
However, despite only being (barely) 6% of the student body, the Black community at the University of Georgia is very close and tight-knit. We understand each other because we all come from the same background and we’re all trying to navigate spaces that weren’t originally made with us in mind. We’re also vocal and very active on campus; several people hold positions with the Student Government Association, they’re college ambassadors, orientation leaders, on the Homecoming court and so much more. There are clubs dedicated to uplifting our vast amount of cultures; the African Student Union, Caribbean Student Association, Black Affairs Council, and several other groups are amazing at showcasing what the Black students at UGA have to offer. They’re also amazing at calling out the university for any wrongdoings and making sure everyone on campus is educated, informed, and up-to-date on Black history and current topics.
I love how we make everything our own. We host our own tailgate during Homecoming, we have a minority-centered film festival, and we meet every afternoon in the student center for “Tate Time,” where we get to relax and goof off and just be together. Moments like these are very important because they create stronger bonds, and I think that’s a necessity for being on a campus as large as UGA. It’s very easy to get lost in everything, and knowing that there’s a group of people who relate to you is comforting.
There were several times I felt out of place, unsure of what clubs I wanted to join, and how I wanted to make my mark on campus. Taking advice from Black alumni and students who were older than me was a huge help. There were definitely times when I seriously considered transferring, especially because I started my freshman year in 2020 when everything was online. I hated my major (I was doing biology on the pre-med track), I felt like it was way too hard to make friends and find a space that was comfortable and enjoyable. However, I gave things some time and I really started to make the most out of being here.
While there are still a few instances where I still need to find my footing and several more areas where UGA could do better, I still love being a Dawg. I’ve had experiences and opportunities here that have changed my life for the better and I still have one more year to go.
Being Black at a predominantly white institution is a journey and it’s definitely not for the weak. Having a community to back you up makes it a lot easier, but it also takes a ton of self-confidence and willingness to stand out and make a name for yourself.