Sunday, April 3, 2011
How I ended up here.
Whenever I engage in small talk with other people, at work, on campus, where ever, the question always comes up, 'So, what's your major?'. As soon as I tell them mine is Black Studies, I always kind of enjoy the reaction I get. People are almost always surprised, and many of them don't even know what Black Studies is. At first, I found this sort of exasperating and would sometimes just blurt out 'Psychology' (my previous major) to avoid having to explain myself any further. But now that I'm a graduating senior, I welcome the question and don't mind explaining my obscure, little-known major to anyone. I usually tell them that to me, Black Studies is a little bit of everything: some psychology, some sociology, some poli-sci and global studies, some anthro, some history. Another question I get almost as commonly once I've revealed my major is 'so..how did you get into that?' Some people just can't figure out why in the world someone who is obviously not black would want to major in, or even bother to learn about, black studies. That's when I tell them that Black Studies explores and dissects something that in absent in every other major: activism. Transferring into UCSB in August of 2009, I was a psychology major and proud of it. But as I took more and more psych classes, I began realizing that Psychology (at this school at least) is not for me. In the Spring of 2010, I took a Black Studies 129, "The Urban Dilemma" with Roberto Hernandez. I didn't know it at the time, but this class would prove to be the one that convinced me to make the switch to Black Studies. The class focused on the 1992 L.A. Civil Unrest and the events that led up to it, and it really opened my eyes to a world I had never even looked at, much less even knew existed. I began to see institutions differently, not as they were, but how they could be reshaped or improved. That same spring I went to a panel discussion on campus put on by the Black Student Union from UCSD, regarding several acts of racism and hate crimes that had been committed on their campus. The fact that something like that could happen on a UC campus, a place that is supposed to be a cradle for diversity and tolerance, made me sick to my stomach. Before attending that discussion, activism had always been something that I viewed as negative and extremist, but afterwards I realized that it is a critical element for change, and the people who stand up for what they believe in are not crazy, just really brave. Taking classes in Black Studies has really above all else inspired me to become an activist. Mostly in small ways, but it definitely changed the way I see things. I now see the world as it could be, not just simply as it is, and plan accordingly.
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I can totally relate to the reaction that people have when they discover that I am a Black Studies major but am in fact not black. At first I was much like you in deciding if I even wanted to open that can or worms when people inquired but now I appreciate each and every opportunity to explain to people all the things that I have learned and help them understand my choice. From this post I now have another great way to explain what Black Studies is all about.
ReplyDeleteI second Whitney! Everyone from my relatives to my closest friends always questions why I'm a Black Studies major and what my intentions are with the major.
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired by your activist spirit that came from the courses you've taken. It's easier said than done to participate as a an activist, but your courage to go outside of the Santa Barbara bubble and attend a discussion panel is so commendable. I find you to be a great ally to people of color, and appreciate women like you who understand the deeper core of racism and social injustice.
I too can COMPLETELY relate to this! Whether it is at interviews, with other students, in a casual environment or even with my own family, the question of WHY Black Studies constantly seems to arise. I think that it is interesting that usually the person posing the question does not mean why I'm interested in Black Studies but why am I interested in Black Studies as opposed to other "more important" fields as if it is not a crucial and important field of study. I very much agree with what you concluded as your intentions, we're coming from a similar viewpoint.
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