<p>I am about 95% sure that I will end up going to University of Michigan next year but I haven't made my final decision yet. The only major reason for my hesitation in committing to Michigan is the serious lack of racial diversity. I am a black male and, at 4.5% black, Michigan has a much lower proportion of black students than the other schools I am considering. I have a majority white friend group already, so my fear isn't simply being the only black kid around, its more about being around kids who have never really interacted with black people before. I am from a city with a very large black population so even all the white kids have spent plenty of time with black people. </p>
<p>My questions really are: Is Michigan just too great a place (in terms of undergrad experience) for me to worry about this one thing? Does Michigan have any kind of strong black community? The two other schools I am considering are UVA and UNC-CH (which while both southern have higher percentages of black students) so does anyone know whether the racial climate at these are better or worse? Any feedback would be helpful</p>
<p>P.S. I am aware of the Being Black at U of M movement and all the controversy surrounding that</p>
<p>WHY YOU SO RACISTTTTT</p>
<p>Ignore that comment. Umich is very liberal and easy going (more so than a relatively conservative UVA). There is a great diversity of race, religion, thought and interests. Being black is will make you just one of a great mix. If you want to be involved with blacks a little more exclusively, there are black fraternities and other clubs (as you know). Umich is too great of a place, not to go to for that reason (in my opinion), as there really is no worry. </p>
<p>Not sure the percentages of blacks at UVA or UNC, but even a smaller percentage at Michigan may be more people since the student population is larger.</p>
<p>Have you visited all the three campuses? Spend some time at cafeterias, libraries and watch the general atmosphere. Michigan is ethnically and racially very diverse, but you have to experience it for yourself to see if you feel comfortable. However, if you decide to attend Michigan, be prepared to work real hard. In some areas (engineering specifically) it may feel like boot camp. Good luck on your decision. </p>
<p>Hey! I’m a black female from Detroit. Mostly African American mixed with other stuff, but I identify with being black. My friends, one black male and two other biracial females just committed to Umich a few weeks ago and we will be attending on full ride scholarships.</p>
<p>Living in Detroit and attending a high school that has about a 97% minority population, I fear both the culture shock and how others will perceive me.</p>
<p>The Black community is pretty strong- aside from the BBUM movement, black students organize and engage in events such as a Black Student Homecoming. African American fraternities and sororities are pretty popular, too. </p>
<p>Personally, the lower black population was a plus. I considered different types of schools, even an HBCU, but I want to be around nonblacks and kids who weren’t exposed to blacks before. </p>
<p>Have you ever visited campus? Honestly, I think there are two types of black kids at UM- the ones who self-segregate and the ones who integrate. I don’t think it will be a problem and you should go for it!</p>
<p>I hope this helps. I’ve been on campus numerous times for both undergrad and graduate school events. If you have any questions or want to talk more about this, feel free to PM me! 
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<p>GO BLUE!!! Hope to see you this fall!</p>
<p>^^^^My favorite post of the day!</p>
<p>You should not worry at all. UMich is well integrated with different races and nationalities. It is definitely not a white community like Brighton/Howell.</p>
<p>My mother went to Cass Tech in Detroit and is an alum of Umich she says that it was 3% black and she often felt that she could never compete with the other students. It’s all about the person, you’ve got to find a group of accepting people and other students like you. 
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<p>Trinity7- I have visited all three campuses and, although I saw by far the fewest black people at Michigan, I did like the school and obviously it doesn’t have the preppy southern vibe that the other two have (more UVA) which can be a little </p>
<p>Detpeace- Thanks for your great post. I did visit for campus day recently and I think you are probably right about self-segregation being a choice</p>
<p>“The only major reason for my hesitation in committing to Michigan is the serious lack of racial diversity.”</p>
<p>I don’t think you should pass up on an opportunity because of diversity. There are going to be times in life when you are different compared to those around you.</p>
<p>-In my first semester of high school, I was the only freshman male in my biology class. I didn’t drop the class. In fact, I got an A.
-Most of the people at the company I work for are much older than me. I’m one of the few people in their early twenties. That didn’t cause me to quit.<br>
-Most of the people I hangout with at U-M are Asian and I’m not. That doesn’t bother me. </p>
<p>There are times where </p>
<p>-You could be the youngest/oldest person in the room
-You could be the skinniest/fastest person in the room
-You could be the only (insert race here). person in the room
-You could be the only person good/bad at (insert something here) in the room
-You could be the only person who likes (insert something here) in the room
-You could be the only person who believes in (insert religion here) in the room
-You could be the only person from (insert region here) in the room
-You could be the only male/female in the room</p>
<p>Also, consider this.</p>
<p>If someone offered you your dream job, but the workplace lacked racial diversity, would you turn it down?</p>