<p>Hey :)</p>
<p>This forum is geared towards black students who currently attend or have visited and committed to USC. I was wondering if you all could comment on the vibe you felt being USC</p>
<p>It is said that USC has strong diversity at the school, though that may be true other universities claim the same thing as well. How is it like being a black student at USC- be honest, I'm trying to make comparisons to Georgetown.</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>Hello! So I’m a black student who just committed to USC after several visits. Black culture on campus is alive and well, as long as you know where to look for it. That is to say that all the cultural similarities and relationships we crave from students of our own ethnicity IS there, it’s just not as apparently available as it would be at a school perhaps down south. They have the center for Black Cultural Affairs and there’s always something cool happening with them, from trips and retreats to concerts and clubs.</p>
<p>I was at the February Explore USC session and at the closing banquet, they introduced two ladies form the Black Cultural Affairs office so that anyone interested could speak to them afterwards. THEY WERE SO NICE! They offered to set up a private overnight visit for me in Sommerville Place (the black dorm floor). They made every effort to let me know that I would be very welcome on campus. But they also told me that I was the only African-American incoming student that they’d seen. Mind you, that was just for the Explore Feb 27th-28th session, which was pretty early on in the game. </p>
<p>In conclusion, come to USC! At the very least you can meet me there! :D</p>
<p>If you knew you were going to heaven, would you ask God the same questions? Think about the narrowness of your position. USC is for all students, regardless of how you perceive of yourself. If you are ISO your own culture, then perhaps USC is not for you because USC is color blind.</p>
<p>The irony in your post teamup </p>
<p>Lol ignore TeamUp… from what I understand USC is a diverse enough and liberal enough of a school that you won’t be cornered into anything, but from what I understand black culture has a strong presence on campus. One of the cool things they do is offer special interest floors (as veritas said) for different ethnic/racial minorities. I think some of them might not be as organized per se as Southern schools as veritas said but I think that’s largely because of the different history of racial dynamics at USC than say schools below the mason-dixon line. LA is a diverse as hell city with probably every major ethnic group represented, from latino to south asian to persian (finally I will get to be in a city with others haha).</p>
<p>I can probably speak more about Gtown since I live near it and know more about it. I think one would definitely feel more marginalization there than at USC because Gtown has a very southern elite WASP influence to it and DC can have a very stark divide between the black population and the white population as a result of gentrification, but I know that definitely does not account for the entirety of the school and there is a very strong sense of activist culture in the school (they interpret their Jesuit tradition as one of social justice, I think PR rated them #2 most politically active campus).</p>
<p>There is a black alumni office that will help pair you with a mentor if you need one, help with any academic adjustments an pinning ceremony during move-in week (before convocation?) to welcome you and let you meet other students, and then a host of other activities. I’ve heard there are quite a few things you can get involved with.</p>
<p><a href=“http://alumnigroups.usc.edu/baa/home.shtml”>http://alumnigroups.usc.edu/baa/home.shtml</a></p>
<p>@TeamUp Pardon me, our culture is beautiful, so why should we have to forget about it? Thank God USC isn’t colorblind, they embrace culture. Colorblindness is a defect, not an advantage.</p>
<p>Well said veritasrmc. Ditto!</p>
<p>USC is NOT color-blind. It is embracing of everyone’s unique culture and encourages them to show it out in the open with pride. Fight on!</p>
<p>I’m black, im a transfer applicant, been at the USC campus a few times, its a cool vibe there in general. But you should focus on getting social skills in general. You need to feel comfortable mingling with people who aren’t black. Im comfortable mingling with Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics etc and feel comfortable with them, maybe you should do the same OP. Because your college experience is gonna be pretty wack if you just stick to a small clique.</p>
<p>@druce1992 I get you, and I agree. But I also believe in the need to have a group of people around you who understand your background. I grew up in a predominately white place. They ask me all the time why I hang out with “all black people” (my few black friends), not realizing that all my life it’s been just the opposite. For me personally, college is a time to finally connect with that “clique” that I never got to experience. </p>
<p>@veritasrmc - you make a valid point which many people miss. We talk about being a “post-racial” society but we don’t notice if there is an all ‘majority race’ group gathered. Certainly we don’t criticize them for not connecting with others of a different culture. And I’ve noted that the same criticism does not occur when a group of Asians or other foreign nationals sit together. The argument only arises when African Americans, Latinos and Hispanics do it (primarily). Only then is there an outcry about being “color blind” and culture-free.</p>
<p>According to USC’s statistics, the student population is only about 6% African American. I know USC has strong black organizations and alumni groups. If you find yourself on campus as a student, there should be plenty for you to tap into. I met a young man at convocation who grew up in an environment much like yours and expressed some concern that he’d landed on the “Black” floor. Now he says it was one of the best things to happen to him in terms of “reconnecting.” I don’t remember what dorm that was, however - sorry. </p>
<p>Go for it - “IMHO”.</p>
<p>@ArtsandLetters "We talk about being a “post-racial” society but we don’t notice if there is an all ‘majority race’ group gathered. Certainly we don’t criticize them for not connecting with others of a different culture. "</p>
<p>Who is “we”? Because I certainly do. So do many others. </p>
<p>Well done, @druce1992. I used the “royal we” as the pronoun for society in general.</p>
<p>I’m in a profession where it is not noticed when the gathering - or form of media - is predominantly or entirely a majority race, but becomes overt when it is minorities. My colleagues often talk about being post racial, but then default to the status quo. And on campus I’ve heard a number of minority students talk about it - as did a mother I sat next to at convocation - how important it was to have some periods where the students could reconnect with their extended tribe because in those settings some things don’t require translation or back story. Likewise, several minority girls had gone to a Frat party where there were few if any other people like them. It didn’t bother them, but they left early after being pretty much ignored. So it’s important to see the reality through the lens of all parties - especially those more likely to be asked to “adjust” and assimilate to achieve the “post racial” parity.</p>
<p>Living in a diverse society should not mean homogeneity or merging into a single cultural form. It should allow for public embracing of cultural identity. </p>
<p>Luckily my D’s dorm (and broader group of friends) seem to have transcended this and the photos they post of their activities seem to be pretty broad racially.</p>
<p>@ArtsandLetters It all comes down to perspective and social skills i guess. I’ve never felt connected to another human being because their shade of skin was the same color as mine (brown). Of course i was force fed that ■■■■ and programmed to think that by my parents and society that i ‘belong’ to a group of people based on skin color and historical heritage, but as a grew up and got smarter I realized quite young that your skin don’t mean squat. I’m black, and I’ve had black people give me things and help me out and been nice to me; And I’ve also been robbed at gun point by black people, and nearly shot and killed by black people. This skin ■■■■ don’t matter, nor culture. The only thing that matters is the spirit that is inhabiting the body. That’s it. Its deeper than culture, nationality and “race”. I rather be around people who just want to be them, who are identified by themselves, instead of trying to mold into some pre-determined role that people label as ‘culture’.</p>
<p>I’m able to connect with everybody, any ethnicity, nationality, age etc. Idk, i guess i just developed it over time. But from my experience, people are just people. They each have a mind of their own. So, i just treat people like a individual.</p>
<p>@druce1992 It is fortunate that you feel so comfortable with people of all cultures and creeds and backgrounds, but a tragedy that you feel as though you have to throw away all semblance of cultural pride to do so. The truth is that our difference make us stronger as a whole human race. To call the appreciation of diversity “■■■■” is an affront to people like me who hold the beautiful of difference in such high regard. </p>
<p>I have lived myself as an “ambassador to the races” as I like to call it. I have to “social skills” to connect with any one and everyone–to see people as people despite race and color. But there is something incredibly enriching about knowing that I can connect with all people in /celebrating/ their cultures. Then at the end of the day, I can also be completely comfortable celebrating my own. </p>
<p>Again, colorblindness is not an advantage, it is a defect.</p>
<p>@druce1992. Sounds like you are working through a lot and I feel your pain. </p>
<p>Still, I’m going to have to agree with @veritasrmc. </p>
<p>I’ve had violence and fraud directed towards me by people of other races but it doesn’t mean I label their “whole” culture that way. What I can say, if you don’t mind my being blunt, is that within any race are a number of people who are saddled with self-hatred. As a result they distance themselves, try to assimilate and be “color blind” and find more often than not they are isolated from both groups. I think that pervasive media stereotypes help feed into that - as “positive” is often the majority and “negative” is often a minority. </p>
<p>So when you give as examples of your most negative experiences based on race - then no - you haven’t “transcended” skin color because you’re still stuck on superficial. Certainly, it precludes you ever using a bank, owning stock, trying to get a job, holding a mortgage, eating food, traveling, etc - because the same philosophy would ascribe to each race the frauds and slights perpetrated by a tiny segment of the population.</p>
<p>My kids are raised to be multicultural. As a result, their friends span a great variety and they’ve learned to do world travel without fear. And I can tell you they don’t seem to harbor the level of anger you do. Neither do their friends. All seem comfortable in mixed situations, and in situations in which they are bonding with people who have a shared cultural framework.</p>
<p>To say you don’t “see” color is disingenuous. To reject - even condemn - part of your collective heritage is a sad legacy. By ignoring those resources and connections as part of your large framework and network, I fear you’ll miss more than you gain. </p>
<p>Veritasrmc has it right - colorblindness is not an advantage - it’s a tragedy.</p>
<p>What is Sommersville Palace like?</p>
<p>@ArtsandLetters your pretty much saying the exact same thing im saying. Except, your just twisting my words and calling it your own meanwhile talking crap about me in the process.</p>
<p>@veritasrmc im not throwing away cultural pride. Im just saying the idea of culture is a meaningless one at best. Culture is just habits, thoughts and customs created back in time by One person, and people for some reason just follow it like sheep. Thats culture for ya.</p>
<p>@druce1992, respectfully, but that’s culture for <em>you</em>. Others might view it differently and my read of your posts is that you are dismissive of those people. Hard to demand respect from others when you don’t show it in return.</p>
<p>@GoldenState2015, unfortunately I don’t know. Hopefully someone who does can wade through this and provide some insight.</p>