Myca Thomas, Class of 2023

I chose to attend UNC because I planned to attend a college in Colorado where my immediate family is located in. My only option was to attend a predominantly white institution. Ultimately, I chose to attend UNC because I thought it provided the most diversity compared to other institutions in the state. I also wanted to search for a school that contained a close-knit community of people of color. I do not believe the school is cliquey or segregated between ethnicities and races because everyone supports one another. Even with the cultural centers on campus, different ethnicities will utilize the space of cultural centers that they do not necessarily identify with. There are a few resources available to Black students. Spaces such as the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center, clubs like Black Student Alliance, African Student Alliance, and Black Campus ministry to name a few are great spaces that help bond the community of Black students on campus. In the past, I felt as if these spaces were very beneficial in providing students with an opportunity to meet peers who share their same identity. However, now these spaces are not utilized as much as they were in the past. UNC supports people of color, including those with other marginalized identities, by providing clubs and organizations for students of color. I also think the cultural centers are a large contribution to the support that students receive, as they are able to meet staff and professionals of color that can help academically, mentally, and emotionally. One of the main things I wish my school would do more to help students of color is to hire more Black professors. It is isolating to go into a classroom and be the only student of color in a sea of peers who all can relate to one another except you. The casual racism and ignorance are often dismissed when most professors are White. Along with that, I wish that race and racism were talked more about during other courses instead of a specified race class. Race affects all areas of life, and unless people attend a class on racism, most do not see where it is hidden and how it is used to marginalize communities. I do not feel represented at my school. Being a Black-Caribbean, female student at a predominantly White institution is challenging. I do not usually get the opportunity to meet others with those same identities, and people have little knowledge about my culture. Some advice that I would give to a prospective Black student is to seek out resources! Use the cultural centers, and join the cultural clubs. Being away from family is already difficult and mentally taxing. And being away from family in a completely different community is even more challenging. Seek out the resources to make friends and meet people who share similar identities. Create your own home away from home by building relationships with other people who you can relate to. It makes the experience less lonely and more fun.