African American Student Organizations As Agents of Social Integration

Journal of College Student Development, May/Jun 2003 by Guiffrida, Douglas A

I find myself checking myself sometimes. Like if 1 am with a White girl I will say something like, "Oh, that guy is hot." But if I am with Black girls I will be like, "Oh, he is fine! Yeah, he look real good!"

This constant process of checking and switching becomes stressful and can even cause confusion. One student remarked about her code switching around Whites, "After a while, I start stuttering because I am thinking too fast." As another student explained, when she is with other African Americans, she feels she can let her guard down and speak in a way that is comfortable without fear of being seen as inferior.

I know how to speak proper English and most of the time I do, but sometimes when I am around all Whites, like in an all-White class or something, I feel like I am thinking about it too hard. I am thinking about it more when I am noticeably in the minority.

Interacting with other Black students in African American organizations allowed them to feel as if the spotlight of being "the only one" was removed, albeit temporarily, and they could blend in. Free from the pressure to battle negative stereotypes constantly, or to justify that they belonged in these settings, they were comfortable to be themselves. This meant not having to think twice about telling a joke or holding back on what might be considered by Whites to be radical political views. It meant not having to educate peers all the time about their background and their history, or to explain everyday things like how they cared for their hair. Comfort also meant feeling free to wear do-rags on their heads without being seen as gangsters, or using slang without being viewed as ignorant. This student explained why she valued the respite her organizational involvement provided.

Because there are some things you don't have to worry about when you are around people who are like you. Like if we have nothing else in common, we share that experience of being the same color; that connects us in some kind of way. Because in my neighborhood, and everywhere else I go, it is mixed. But, in my educational settings, which is where I spend the majority of my time during the day, it's not like that. I know [in my all-Black organization] someone is not going to ask me about my hair or somebody is not going to say something they shouldn't have said that I have to break down and explain to them about da da da. just feeling like you fit in for a moment. Like you are not looked at as the minority. For once, you are not different than everybody else. And that's important because it is one thing to be used to something but it gets tiring.

Finally, African American student organizations provided students with aling of comfort by allowing them opportunities to socialize in ways that were comfortable and familiar. One of the most noticeable differences among themselves and White students was the difference between Black and White parties. Dancing to "good" music, meaning hip-hop, rhythm and blues, and reggae, was described as the emphasis at a typical Black party. On the contrary, the White parties tended to play rock music and focused on conversation rather than dancing. Additionally, they perceived White parties as centered around binge drinking. Although many of the African American students admitted drinking alcohol when socializing, it was usually consumed in moderation and before entering the Black parties. One reason for this was that unlike White parties, which were often held off-campus, Black parties often occurred in on-campus facilities that accommodated larger crowds. They perceived this as creating a safer atmosphere free from much of the obnoxious behavior they associated with binge drinking. Perceptions of bad music, no dancing and, as one student labeled it, "Animal House" antics, kept many students from ever attending a White party. Instead, these students frequented Black dance parties that were sponsored by various African American student organizations on campus.