Though black students may have a positive experience at universities, they question whether racism is a factor in some situations, said author Susannah Willie at an AU book forum on Tuesday. AU and Howard University students also discussed what it means to "act black" in college.
Willie wrote "Acting Black: College Identity and Performance of Race" based on research she conducted at Howard and Northwestern universities. She interviewed the schools' alumni to explore the impact of race.
"My purpose of writing the book was to find out what the role of white supremacy played in African-American college students," said Willie, associate professor of sociology and chairwoman of the black studies program at Swarthmore College.
Willie concluded that both schools promoted positive experiences for black students while in school, but that Northwestern graduates had to question the possibility of racism in certain situations.
"One student from Northwestern mentioned that he had to question if his white professor lost his final exam on purpose, or why he lived in a dorm with the most blacks on campus," she said.
Howard alumni did not share this experience because they lived in a fairly homogenous environment, Willie said.
However, Howard's environment did not mean an unchanging personal identity for students, because going to a predominately black school creates an experience in itself.
"Their sense of themselves changed over time and when they changed in setting," she said.
During the forum, students split into small groups and discussed developing their personal ethnic identity, which often began after an incident of discrimination.
Willie shared an anecdote about a Howard alumnus who grew up in a neighborhood where he was always a minority. The few times he had experiences with blacks, fights broke out because he was accused of "acting white."
Students also discussed the role of institutional racism as a form of social inequality.
"Institutional racism creates a cycle of oppression," said Jonathan, a student from Howard University who did not give his last name.
The sponsor for the event was Project South, a nonprofit organization dedicated to political education and social and economic justice.
Over the last six years, Project South has sponsored book forums at AU and Howard three times per semester. The group also sponsors a video series geared toward the community.
The next book forum, "The Women of SNCC: A discussion on the Role of Women in the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee," will be held on the Howard University campus in the Blackburn Center.
For more information on Black History Month events at AU, see the Campus Calendar on Page 3 or contact Melva Jones of the Multicultural Affairs Office at mjones@american.edu.
