The Struggle is Real, But Has It Changed?

The Struggle is Real, But Has It Changed?

Discrimination and and the Greatest Struggles of Black Students

In the exit interviews conducted from 1997-1999 and the interviews we conducted in the Spring of 2018, black students were asked whether they experienced any discrimination on campus and what their greatest struggle was at Washington and Lee. While comparing both sets of interviews, very interesting similarities and differences arise. Because of our small sample size for the interviews we conducted, we cannot accurately say whether the amount of racism on campus has increased or decreased. However, we can compare what was said in the interviews to determine whether the type of discrimination has changed. In the exit interviews conducted in the 90s, those interviewed described instances of people calling them slurs and saying derogatory things about black people and their intellectual capacity. There were no such instances described in the interviews we conducted. Instead, those interviewed described instances of microaggressions, wherein people may not have known that they were being rude or discriminatory. However, there was something common in both interviews. Both groups described incidents where they had to show identification or prove that they were students at Washington and Lee. Both groups were certain that this was only asked of them because of their skin color. The most striking difference between the interviews was what the individuals said was their greatest challenge was. In the 90s, black students said their greatest struggle was academics. However, the students in the present day said that their greatest struggles related to their blackness. There are many possible reasons for this. Perhaps schools are preparing black students for college better than the 90s. It might also be the current political environment that we live in. Either way, it is a striking difference that should be noted.

Zachary Christian

NA

May 17th, 2018

English