Ataia Templeton, Class of 2023

Every black student I know has their own experience with being singled out as black/other in the classes that are predominately white. Mine: I was in an upper-level French class and the professor was talking about slavery in the French DOMs, and throughout the lecture, every white person in the class took their time to stare at me when the Professor asked for thoughts or whatever. For the most part, it is cliquey, there are some interracial friend groups. There are many organizations that support students of color because the campus is so large. Often they’re student-led, but there are resources like Trotter and DEI (probably not the name) that focus on equity and inclusion. BSU is so amazing and the Department of AfroAmerican and African studies and its professors are literally the reason why I decided to not transfer. I wish the admin or the regents would put more effort into getting black students on the campus. A larger black student population could lead to improvements in how they support black students and also make the campus less white which is very necessary. I do not feel represented. As for other identities, if you are physically disabled, you may not be supported as much as you need. From what I understand, not every building is accessible for all. I know some physically disabled people on campus who get around fine, but I know it may still be a concern. Umich does have the Spectrum Center which was the first of its kind and it does a lot to support LGBTQ people on campus. Also, the campus has a sexual assault unit and three all-women dorms that are inclusive of non-binary females and transgender women. I will say though that the dorms need to be renovated ASAP, but that hasn’t been prioritized by the regents. If you are coming to UMich, get involved with BSU!! Be friends with black people that match your vibe and always pull the race card because no white person wants to be called racist and reminding most of them that they have privilege because they’re white is uncomfortable for them, so pull it.