University of South Alabama

Jayla Young, Class of 2022

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 19:37:08 +0000

South is somewhat cliquey, but there are people who have mixed friend groups. There are no resources specifically for black students but through the Office of Multicultural student affairs, there are plenty of resources. I feel somewhat represented. I wish there was mentorship with black professors. I would like to say South is supportive of students of color but unfortunately, there have been quite a few racist events. By hiring our new president Jo Bonner, this school does not care about students of color or other marginalized groups. My advice is: Don’t give up. No matter how hard it is, keep pushing.

Zocha, Class of 2025

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 19:35:36 +0000

The school is not necessarily cliquey, but it is something to be aware of. The Black Student Union at South is amazing! There are many different clubs so everyone has the opportunity to find their people. Spectrum is our lgbtq+ club, BSU, ASU(Arab student Union), VSU (Vietnamese), so on and so forth. South is primarily a school for the students, but I’m not sure with the voting in of Jo Bonner (known racist and homophobe). I wish there were more scholarships specifically for black and brown folks. I very rarely feel represented seeing as South is a PWI. If you are coming to south know It’s a wonderful environment with pretty good professors. I recommend joining group chats and seeing if you click with anybody also coming to south! Having a support system is so important.

Dymond Larrimore, Class of 2023

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 19:33:53 +0000

Though south is a PWI there are a lot of different ethnicities and races at the school. For some students, it’s easier to group with their own race or ethnicity so we have a lot of different groups and organizations for things like that. It’s good but also bad because it seems as if it’s better to just group with people you know rather than the ones you don’t, but at the same time that’s how that “segregation” can come into play. Yes, most of them are organizations and I think they are pretty amazing. We have a Black Student Union organization and I love how they stand up for the minority at south. We had a situation with a couple of our professors dressing up in racial Halloween costumes for a party as they were trying to figure out what should happen. The BSU committee decided to do a march and a lot of people showed up and supported, even students that are of different races. I enjoyed that moment/march because it showed me how we can come together to fight for what is right as a school. The BSU makes me feel represented. The school itself seems to only support students of color through athletics. I wish south would give out fair scholarships to everyone and not just people in a specific field or major. It’s not fair some students have to wait a certain grade year just to fill out a scholarship just for them not to get it. I believe it has a lot to do with race because why are we filling out what race we are for a scholarship that can go to anybody? If you want to feel more appropriate about race you should definitely go to an HBCU where they embrace everything about being black.

Babalola Omofoyewa, Class of 2022

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 19:06:52 +0000

I appreciate the fact that the school recognizes and supports international students. Black students should remember to reach for the stars! Stand up for yourself, believe in your strength and colour. No one can make you feel less of yourself without you giving them the permission.