It's been a month since Donald Trump has been elected, and maybe it's a little bias of me to think that the world is probably coming to an end, but realistically I'm trying hard to come to terms with it. In January, he'll be the president, and while it's very hard to believe that this man will be in power, he is. Unless, Jesus comes and saves us all. However, he isn't the topic of this article.
I was asked, "Am I regretful of my choice about attending a predominantly white institution [PWI] now that Trump is the president elect?"
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The answer is no. I do not regret it at all. Furthermore, I believe that attending a HBCU does not protect or shelter one from racism at all. Actually, I've heard about more scary events at HBCU'S than at PWI's. They're much more a target, because it's a large group of blacks/african-americans and minorities to bother. Whereas, on my campus there's a handful of us, and it's hard to pick us out. Many HBCU's are located in KKK populated states, which is very ironic. But, that isn't the reason why I'm not regretful.
But don't get me wrong, there are still harassment that happens on PWI campuses.
I'm sometimes not too thrilled to attend my college. My university is located in a conservative populated town. There are a lot of conservative people, and very little liberals. And if they're liberals, they're undercover liberals because trust me it can get a little heated between both parties. I hear things like liberals are big babies, and conservatives are nut cases.
But we've let politics shadow who we truly are. Many people are going to probably side eye me for this, but I don't think all conversative supporters are racist and I don't side eye all whites. Wait, and before you begin calling me a coon and what not... I use to feel the same way you use to feel but it's because of my university why I've formed much more rational thoughts and opinions.
Okay, truth be told there are some racist, excuse my french, ass conversatives who spew bullshit, and offensive shit. But, recently, one of my favorite white guys on campus so happened to be a conservative. It was interesting speaking to him, because he was respectable and didn't call me names. He was interested in what I had to say and I was especially interested in what he had to say.
His half sister is black. That was a big thing to me. Maybe, it's the reason why he's more sensitive to liberals, then most conservatives. His sister isn't talking to him, and her parents. He told me how he loved her still, but it's always been strange because she always seemed to see color more than her parents and he did. A black person seeing color? He said that she always said that he had more than her because he was white, and she was black. He said that case wasn't true because his parents provided for them equally, and maybe there experiences in the world were quite different because she is black, but that didn't mean that their parents loved her less, and him more. She was on her way to becoming a lawyer, and sure enough they were paying for education.
He didn't think Trump would be a savior, but his ' conservative policies' were lined up to what he believed America needed. He proceeded to tell me that the picture saying that he didn't care about his black friends, muslim friends, and LGBT friends were untrue. He said when it came to that--he felt like it was bullshit for people to automatically just cast him in this gruesome category of selffishness, and hate. And I sure enough understood that, because each and everday I would be stereotyped because of my skin color. I asked him about how he felt about the abortion policy and he said that he greatly disagreed with but the rest that he did agree with aligned with the conservative views.
Many people would say, if you agree with there policies then you must be racist too. While that may seem sort of accurate, I think many people make opinions without research because he seemed to explain his stand very well, even though I still greatly disagreed with him. The question was: Is there a difference between Trump supporters and conservative supporters? Perhaps.
I'll call him Derek to protect his identity, but Derek to me isn't racist or a hateful person. Maybe, if I had known he was conservative the minute I met him then I'd probably wouldn't have given him a chance to actually know him. He would've went down as the same as the rest, and I would've looked at him negatively. Truth is, I can't possibly look at him negative now, because he's a good person, he's just have a shadowed concept. And, maybe he can say the same for me. The only way for me to see him negatively, is if he did something racist. Which he never did. He made me feel comfortable at work from day one.
There's not much people like Derek, and maybe that's why I don't think that he's some sort of conservative ass. And I've met a few, spoken to a few, and overheard a few spewing there bullshit.
I'm glad that I still chose to attend Penn State. It has prepared me for the real world. I'm not saying HBCU's wouldn't have done the same, but for me, I'd be running away, and sheltering myself away from interacting with people with opposite views from me. I've learned to coexist with people who have different views that me, you know? I've learned to be comfortable but also keep a wide eye around people who are different. I don't think it would've been the same at a HBCU.
They hate that their guns are being taken away. And after talking to this older man and another white friend about it, it all came down to this: The people just enjoyed hunting season and shooting deer. They got school off on the first day of hunting season just to shoot some damn deer, and hang it's head in their living room. And while, gun control is a major problem in the United States, how do you tackle this situation without depriving hunters and causing a larger problem for gun control. I don't know, but it's something to think of.
You see in the real world, you're going to work alongside people with opposing views from you because this is the world we live in, and as much as we want every single last person to just agree with out views, that is merely unrealistic. Being the black kid among conservative and liberal whites, are quite interesting. I learn a lot, and I also learned that not all "liberal whites" are allies.
I've had some conservative friends console me, and explain to me that everything will be okay, and while I found it VERY annoying that they felt the need to tell everything it's okay...I thought it was very diplomatic of them I guess. Where as, white liberals are like are you seriously crying? Yes they're upset, but they know that everything will at least be good for them, because thank God they aren't black, and muslim.
Being here have taught me how to control my anger and how to have some sort of decency. It's helped me realize that not every opinion deserves and irrational reaction. When Derek was talking to me, I could've switched the flip, and accuse him of being a racist (which he is not to make that clear), but I didn't. And, it's all learned self control, and being exposed to such different views than me.
I remember in high school how political views was oh so the same. While there were opinions that varied, when it came to attending an all black high school in a majority liberal city then political views were almost the same. There was never an issue, and I think attending here have opened up my mind and brain, and have well, matured me.
I'm not angry at whites or conservatives. I sort of pity them. While, I do not think all of them are bad people and racists. I do think that they did not have the same opportunity of me. Many of these kids only hear about black issues, LGBT issues, and more on the news. In many of our cases, we grow up being influenced by our parents political and even religious views, and growing up in a conservative household is what they was brought in. Just like we are stuck in our opinion is just like they are stuck even if what they support can raise eyebrows.
Unlike me, many of them wouldn't attend the opportunity to be around people who are different from them. Maybe it scare them? Perhaps, the truth is maybe they're afraid of truly understanding.
Furthermore, I've learned to be comfortable in being the only black kid in my class. Surely, now being comfortable in the presence of over 60 white kids, can help me when I'm sitting outside waiting my turn for the interview. Or, just working with only white people. The truth is that they aren't smarter than you because they are white. While you may have to work harder to prove yourself (in certain cases), you are either smarter than them or on the same level.
I use to be afraid to walk into my class. I use to be uncomfortable to talk in class, or raise my hand, but seriously turns out it doesn't matter. They can not disrespect you if you are proving everyone wrong.
I've learned to ignore stupid questions like, "Why don't we have a white student union?". In the real world, you can escape stupid shit like that, and you can't always turn up.
But regardless, I do not regret attending a PWI. In a matter of months, I've learned a lot about different people and there culture. I've learned to tolerate, and work with people with opposing people. To sum it all up, it's been an interesting experience.
And I somewhat enjoy being that urban public school kid from the city in a university located in a conservative town.
Well kinda.
