Belonging In The White World? I Think Not!

One thing that has caught my attention through research is the idea that, despite efforts made by white institutions to create inclusion and equal access opportunities, people of color still feel unrepresented and marginalized. This raises the question of whether it is even possible for people of color to feel welcomed in white institutions.

Belonging is defined as a deep sense of connection and feeling of community within a given space, and to feel welcomed is the feeling that others want you in a specific place. As a way of creating a welcoming and belonging environment, predominantly white institutions, in particular, have created diversity programs and financial aid support systems to provide equal opportunities for specific minority groups. By doing this, they aim to create a more diverse and inclusive academic workspace. While these programs are helpful in many ways, people of color who attend PWIs still feel uncomfortable and alone. I believe the reason for this is that these white institutions and systems were created to cater to whiteness and the white experience. They were built upon the understanding that to be white is to be human, and anything that does not fit that norm does not belong. Academically, much of the history that is taught in schools is often shared through the white perspective to highlight greatness and patriotism in America while minimizing African American and other minority histories. As a result, people of color often feel like they don’t matter as much as white students, leading to feelings of isolation and discomfort. Historically, these social institutions were created as a way to empower white people while degrading people of color, and as a result, I do not think it’s possible for people of color to feel welcomed in white institutions.

This semester, I joined a research lab, called Mattering at a PWI. In the lab, we explore the concept of what it means for people of color to feel valued and included in predominantly white institutions, specifically at Muhlenberg College. We found that while not all participants felt the same, many discussed that they feel like they belong and matter within their own individual groups, whether it’s a sports team or an affinity group. However, when it comes to the college as a whole, they feel they are only valued and seen because they’re Black and not because of who they are. In other words, they feel that the only reason PWIs value them is because of how they look, not who they are. This is because PWIs often want to attract people of color to their campuses to strengthen their reputation and add diversity. By tokenizing people of color, they create the illusion that they are accepting and welcoming to all.

Throughout my Contemporary Racism class, while we haven’t specifically focused on the idea of belonging, we have discussed similar concepts that affect how people of color are perceived and how they feel within white institutions. We found that the tokenization of minorities makes them feel like their voices don’t matter, and they are reluctant to share their ideas at white institutions because they often feel that, since people don’t share the same experiences, they won’t be understood or heard in the way they want to be heard. This contributes to the reason people of color tend to feel uncomfortable at PWIs and often do not use their voices. The problem with this is that by staying quiet and refusing to share our experiences, we can’t break through the status quo of whiteness being the standard. But in institutions created by white elites and centered around whiteness, how can people of color feel like they belong? Am I wrong for not believing it’s possible?