What It's Like to Be Black on Campus Now

In Melissa Harris-Perry’s article, “What It’s Like to Be Black on Campus Now”, she discusses the issues behind race in education and institutions through ten black student journalists who tell their personal experiences. She gives an example from the University of Missouri, explaining how one student decided to stop eating in protest of inaction and ineffective administrative responses to racial incidents on campus. 30 Missouri football players joined this one student in protest and University of Missouri’s president resigned soon after. This example is powerful because it shows other institutions that when you unite together, change can come. Harris- Perry continues to talk about how important education is to black families and how hard it is to send their children to a place that can be so full of hatred towards their race. She wrote, “Viewing higher education as a pathway to equity, African American families and communities have made enormous sacrifices to send black kids to college. It was painful to see that golden ring turn to brass.” This statement is so important in today’s world because it is so relevant, and this issue is found on almost every college campus. There is still segregation and racism found in college and for black families to do so much to get their children in college, it is frustrating to see that they aren’t even safe at school from hate. This statement also relates to W.E.B. DuBois’ idea that “education of the masses must carve out a viable path toward success and freedom” (The Nouveau Talented Tenth, page 267). DuBois’ believed that an education could somehow win the respect of White’s and would make the black community begin to integrate into every day society. The issue behind all of these articles we read was that black students are not educated and treated the same as white students in today’s society.