Finding Your Community: Being Black at a PWI
One of my biggest dilemmas during the college admissions process was debating between attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) or a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). When I ultimately committed to Tufts, my first and foremost goal was to find and create community. Now in my second year, I can highlight the ways that Tufts facilitates community building within the Black Diaspora.
Pre-Orientation Groups
Tufts offers eight pre-orientation groups focused on various areas of interest, such as fitness or arts and crafts. These pre-orientations allow incoming students to arrive on campus early and spend time with like-minded individuals, jumpstarting their college experience. For students seeking to meet fellow Black students or wanting to learn about the Black community, SQUAD (Students' Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora) takes its students around the Boston area and Tufts, introducing so-called ‘Squadies’ to many different organizations on campus with the Black diaspora in mind.
Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion (DSDI): The Africana Center
The Africana Center is one of Tufts DSDI centers, put in place to offer students a space between like-minded individuals to foster community. The Africana Center itself is the only DSDI center that still houses students on the upper levels in ‘Capen House.’ This center serves as a great third space for students to hang out between classes, intern at, or attend organization meetings. As registration season comes around once again, I have had numerous conversations in the Africana’s Center lounge regarding academics. These conversations, often filled with students from different schools, majors and class years, allow us to debate each course from a variety of different perspectives. If the flow of conversation doesn’t pique your interest in the lounge, the reading room, kitchen, The Underground (the basement), or chatting with the Africana staff is sure to.
Culture Clubs and Organizations
No clubs at Tufts are exclusionary of students based on any factors, but students are still able to find communities tailored to their shared interests, open to anyone and everyone. For the students interested in connecting with the Black community, you can find anything from clubs about pre-professional involvements, culture & identity, music, and dance organizations. There are numerous Black-centered groups within these denominations, including the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Caribbean Student Organization (CSO), the Ladies of Essence, and Blackout, the all-masc step team. I personally partake in the Ladies of Essence, the all-femme a cappella group specializing in music from the Black diaspora, CSO, and many others. Through these two clubs, I am granted the experience of connecting with others who may share my heritage and my love for singing and Black musical artists.
Greek Life
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), also known as the Divine Nine (D9), operates alongside the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) at Tufts. Although Tufts does not have school-specific chapters of the Divine Nine, each organization has city-wide chapters. This gives students the opportunity to choose between the D9 and NPC chapters, allowing a wide allotment of choices for those seeking to join Greek Life. Although I myself am not in a sorority, I have experienced firsthand the camaraderie and philanthropy of these groups and have never been made to feel other for not engaging in Greek life.
Overall, my time here thus far as a Black student has not felt as though I am without community, and that is greatly thanks to the initiatives of clubs, organizations, and experiences created with the Black diaspora at Tufts in mind.