Campus Racism
Nikki Giovanni
Campus Racism 101
In today’s society, it is essential to have an education. To be educated helps us as individuals to gain knowledge and be able to understand and interpret information as it is presented to us. Education not only teaches us how to live our life as good citizens but education also sets the foundation and equips us for the generation to follow in the future. We as people must be able to build confidence in ourselves and have the courage to succeed. Never should you feel downgraded, intimated or unworthy of an education because of someone else’s success. Many people have the desire in wanting to finish their goals and ambitions but because of fear in other individual’s achievements, they don’t have the determination to push forward. Suffice to say; to be successful education is a necessity. However, while education is integral to everyone’s success there are some roadblocks, chief among these roadblocks for African Americans is institutional racism.
Poet, Activist and Writer Nikki Giovanni discusses the racial turbulence that African Americans encounter while attending predominantly white colleges in Campus Racism 101. Giovanni briefly expounds and gives a synopsis of her experiences while teaching in a predominately white university and her experiences there and how she dealt with these issues of racism and gives examples of how important education really is. Nikki Giovanni compares and contrasts these issues to certain situations in today’s society. For example, she talks about the ignorance of students and how they don’t take school seriously. She uses a quote from a student that says, “TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL; YET TOO STUPID FOR THE REAL WORLD” (Giovanni 43) Nikki Giovanni then begins to tell why she loves her job as a black professor in a predominately white college. She starts to explain the reasons of why students shouldn’t feel less than enough to be black in a predominately white college. Being an African American in a
Campus Racism 101
In today’s society, it is essential to have an education. To be educated helps us as individuals to gain knowledge and be able to understand and interpret information as it is presented to us. Education not only teaches us how to live our life as good citizens but education also sets the foundation and equips us for the generation to follow in the future. We as people must be able to build confidence in ourselves and have the courage to succeed. Never should you feel downgraded, intimated or unworthy of an education because of someone else’s success. Many people have the desire in wanting to finish their goals and ambitions but because of fear in other individual’s achievements, they don’t have the determination to push forward. Suffice to say; to be successful education is a necessity. However, while education is integral to everyone’s success there are some roadblocks, chief among these roadblocks for African Americans is institutional racism.
Poet, Activist and Writer Nikki Giovanni discusses the racial turbulence that African Americans encounter while attending predominantly white colleges in Campus Racism 101. Giovanni briefly expounds and gives a synopsis of her experiences while teaching in a predominately white university and her experiences there and how she dealt with these issues of racism and gives examples of how important education really is. Nikki Giovanni compares and contrasts these issues to certain situations in today’s society. For example, she talks about the ignorance of students and how they don’t take school seriously. She uses a quote from a student that says, “TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL; YET TOO STUPID FOR THE REAL WORLD” (Giovanni 43) Nikki Giovanni then begins to tell why she loves her job as a black professor in a predominately white college. She starts to explain the reasons of why students shouldn’t feel less than enough to be black in a predominately white college. Being an African American in a
Cited: Giovanni, Nikki. “Campus Racism 101” Dancing with the Tiger Ed. Coppin State University Michele Baird Maureen. Staudt Michael. Strantz Mason, Ohio 45040 2008 pages 43-47