The Black Student Experience and Its Effects on Mental Health
Amidst the common stressors of university, how are Black students finding mental wellness?
—By Adetola Oyelade
“It’s already hard enough being Black, but to be reminded of it every time you walk into a room at a place you’re supposed to call home…. Well, that experience will break anybody,” shares Adesola Adeleye, a sophomore student attending the University of Michigan.
Many have heard and become familiar with the stories of the Black experience at predominantly white institutions. From Ruby Bridges to the Little Rock Nine, these stories of Black students enduring blatant racism and alienation from their white peers while, simultaneously, trying to receive a better education have paved the way for Black people all over the world. While many could argue that things have improved a great deal since the times of early integration, today, at the University of Michigan, Black students are still sharing stories of their heartbreaking experiences attending college as a minority. And while these experiences have become all too common, what still gets ignored is how these experiences affect one’s overall well-being.
Alienation and lack of representation
When discussing the Black experience, what is most commonly brought up is the feeling of alienation. Lauren Collins, a sophomore at the University of Michigan states, “It’s not being talked to when your teacher requests for you to share your opinion with a partner, it’s being talked over or having your opinions constantly undermined by your peers, it’s having never been on the receiving end of ‘Hi’s’ or’“Bye’s’ in the hallways. All of this constantly plays to much more than being left out or feeling out of place.” Adeleye confirms such experiences. “Last year, my roommate and I were the only Black girls on our dorm floor. Everybody on our floor talked to each other, and even exchanged candy on Halloween but no one ever bothered talking to us, despite our advances. You think you’re strong enough to handle it but sometimes I found myself questioning why nobody wanted to interact with us as if I was a little girl again.” Many students even find themselves being isolated by student organizations as well. “We are also not seen in terms of programming. For example, the concerts that are put on seemingly target white student audiences.… This is hard for me because I’ve been in predominantly white institutions all my life and blackness is practically invisible on campus,” shares Princess-J’Maria Mboup, a sophomore on campus.
This is even more heartbreaking when considering the reality of such experiences. Coming out of a worldwide pandemic, studies have shown that college students have already expressed general feelings of isolation, anxiety, and confusion trying to get back into their school community. Such feelings of isolation have led to an alarming percentage of students transferring or dropping out of school, experiencing depression, and even self-harming. With information like this, such rates look bleak for Black student minorities on predominantly white campuses.
Hidden racism
Racism within schools is normally not talked about, as many people believe that is 2022, and such behavior is long gone. However, Black students at the University of Michigan suggest otherwise. Khadidatou Toure, a Muslim sophomore, states “ While I will commend the University of Michigan on being a liberal campus, I have definitely had my experience of racism here. I have been called slurs on numerous occasions, if not for race, my hijab. It still amazes you how people can still be so ignorant.” Additionally, Ope Ojubanire and Nick Stiger, both sophomores attending the University of Michigan, shared their heartbreaking experiences “Within our first day on campus we were called the N-word while walking to the dining hall. We were shocked, thinking about how the rest of the year would go.”
While the Black experience on predominantly white campuses is nothing as it was before, incidents such as the above are still common. Indeed, studies have shown that hate crimes and acts of racism on campus increased (by 40%) between the years 2011 and 2016. These instances of racism on campus create racial trauma which can be defined as the cumulative effects of racism on one’s mental health or overall well-being. With these experiences of alienation, lack of representation, and racial trauma, along with everyday college struggles, how are Black students dealing with their mental health?
Black students on mental health
It is no surprise that all of the experiences are emotionally and mentally taxing. When looking at issues such as these, a common theme that arises is calling for solutions to the problem. This, in itself, only exacerbates the issue as we aren’t looking at the problem in its totality. I decided to change this and with that, I asked my interviewees the most intimate question of all: “How have all of these experiences worked to affect your mental health?” With this, I received a multitude of different responses, Adeleye stated, “I honestly feel like things have gotten harder. I feel the mental burnout is worse than what I experienced in high school. I find myself a lot more stressed and constantly anxious and angry.” Simisola Olaleye, a freshman, expressed similar sentiments saying, “ Being at a predominantly white institution has affected mental health not only by being surrounded by my peers that look nothing like me but also because of how hard [the University of Michigan] is in general. All of it is taxing, to say the least.” Toure expressed a different view. “ Honestly I am unsure. I would say it doesn’t hurt as bad anymore. When you are constantly walking into classes being the only Black person, constantly being talked over or excluded from class groups or discussions, you get used to it. I’ve almost become numb to the reality of it. I know it’s not good, but it’s my truth.”
Additionally, I asked Taiwo Oyelade, a mother of three children who have attended the University of Michigan, what she has noticed about their mental health as a result of the university. “All my children have had their own unique experiences attending [Michigan]. I felt my son and eldest daughter coped fine, with a few angry phone calls discussing ignorance that took place in their classes every once in a while. However, my youngest daughter attending the university really opened my eyes. I will never forget when I came to pick her up…sobbing about how hard the courses were and some experiences concerning her white peers. Seeing her like that really broke my heart. I began to wonder if my eldest kids endured the same thing but chose to suffer in silence.”
These feelings of anxiety and depletion as a result of the Black experience are extremely alarming especially when considering the background of African Americans as an entirety. As reported in the Surgeon General’s report, Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, studies have shown that the chattel enslavement of Africans in the U.S. and other countries still serves as an extensive traumatic stressor today making us [Black people] more prone to developing mental disorders. This fact along with college stress and unfair treatment can only cause the mental health of Black students to decline.
Barriers to mental health resources on campus
“If I am being completely honest with myself, I’m not,” says Adeleye when asked what or if she does to take care of her mental health. “I don’t feel like I have the time nor the resources to combat the mental health issues I face. With me constantly having to think about my classes or my work study, there is not much time for me to really sit within myself. I have to keep moving forward.” Upon asking other Black students, I received similar responses, all feeling as though there was no time. I pressed further, asking if students have attempted utilizing CAPS, Counseling and Psychological Services available for students on campus. The answer I received collectively from all my interviewees was “No.” This answer was seemingly given for three reasons: lack of comfortability, not having the money to fund therapy, and long wait times. This is consistent with studies showing that Black people are half as likely to seek mental health care compared to their white counterparts due to many of the same reasons.
CAPS has been widely criticized for all of the issues on numerous accounts by students. From talking with my interviewees, it seemed as though many students would like to try to attend therapy; however, the three-session free trial and long wait times deter them. Adeleye stated, “When I arrived back on campus for the fall semester I wanted to give CAPS a try but I just feel like I cannot be cured in a matter of three sessions. I have had more than three sessions worth of trauma. I also cannot afford to regularly attend therapy.”
Black outlets
With seemingly no hope for mental wellness, what are Black students left to do to come with such emotions and experiences?
M’boup shares, “I love the experiences that I create on my own and that helps me cope with how I feel. I’m in an almost constant state of irritation during the week, so attending events put on by Black student organizations, being part of the Black Student Union, and finding Black friends who can relate to me and share the burden of being Black at a PWI help me cope. A good vent session with my family might help too from time to time.” Like M’Boup, a lot of other Black students find joy in finding their community through Black student organizations similar to the ones she named. At the University of Michigan, there is no lack of student organizations, particularly Black student organizations, that work to ease the transition and experience of Black students during their time here. Additionally, many Black students find joy in attending Black spaces, one of the most common being the Trotter Multicultural Center, a student center created for Black students. “If Trotter didn’t exist, I don’t know where I’d be,” says Amiyah Blackwell, a Black freshman majoring in Environmental Science at the University of Michigan. At the multicultural center, students have expressed it feeling like a “home away from home,” constantly filled with Black students ready and willing to engage in community.
Conclusion
While it’s beautiful that students are still able to seek out the community on their own in the midst of racism and alienation, an issue still prevails. The mental well-being of Black students has been an ongoing, ignored issue for years to come. Too many students have the same heartbreaking experience not only at the University of Michigan but at these institutions all over the world. We cannot keep ignoring such issues and taking matters into our own hands. “We can only protest so much. I have older siblings that share the same story that I do,” Adeleye proclaims. Collins echoes these sentiments. “What will it take to get real change in order? It is already enough that we have to deal with these experiences on a daily basis, why do we have to take the initiative to change them as well?” Ultimately, the difference in experience is blatant. What seems to be the true effect this has on Black students and how it is coped with. The issue does not just call for a simple increase in diversity; while that is necessary, it only answers one part of the problem.
Photo Credit: “brown concrete building” by Finn on Unsplash