Why does everyone pretend they understand me?
I get the same advice from different people every day. I am lonely out here at Connecticut College. I am a depressed African American male who needs a little help and guidance adjusting to the young adults that live here.
When I am here, I feel like I have superpowers.
I feel like I can see what the eye can’t see. I see determined, cautious adults who don’t know how to socialize with one another because of where a person might come from or because the way they talk makes them feel uncomfortable.
I feel like I can see through them and they are acting and trying to pretend like they care but are afraid to say what is on their mind because they don’t want to come out of their comfort zone. This college is predominantly white, and I feel like they are afraid to talk to others who are not their kind because they feel guilty.
What I mean by others is minorities. I think they don’t want to say anything wrong, so they rarely talk and keep to themselves. They have mouths; they should be able to use them no matter what race. We all have equal power. Don’t put yourself down because of what is going on in society. If anything, we should talk about it as a whole regardless of race. Don’t get me wrong, the white Americans in this college say “Hello” and “See you later,” but they rarely create a real conversation.
I want to know what is going on in their minds. I am from Chicago, which is a city that is considered one of the most dangerous places to live in the U.S., according to statistics. I have lived there almost all my life. There are plenty of white Americans. They are not afraid, and they will let you know how they feel in a second. Minorities respect them, and we get along as a whole. Most of us don’t see each other different no matter what race you are or the crime rate by a certain ethnicity in Chicago. I’m not saying minorities have equality like white Americans, but we do socialize and work as a whole. We know we can’t change what minorities do as far as gang relation and shootings, but we do know that we can talk to each other and make friends as whole, regardless of ethnicity.
I feel like a duck in a pond full of swans. I have no fear in talking to any ethnicity, but I want others to be on the same page! If this could happen, this college would be so much better. I don’t care what color your skin is; I just want a real friendly conversation. I don’t care what comes to your mind. All you have to do is ask. I know there are others that feel the same, and I think I am speaking for them too. I have been shot at, stabbed, beat up by multiple people of different ethnicities. And I still respect everyone regardless of race.
We have a saying in Chicago called, “Keep it real.” This means speak whatever you feel or however you feel and be proud to say it. If you keep it real, you gain respect. It doesn’t matter your ethnicity, what gang you are affiliated with, your salary or where you live at. I’m not trying to complain, I just want this college better as whole. I also want to give respect to these young adults at Conn. KEEP IT REAL!
-Taz Sanders
