Dr. Ghislaine Lewis ~ Newspaper Advisor
This year as part of our celebration of Black History Month 2022 at the University of Lynchburg, the Critograph is launching a series on what it means to be Black at Lynchburg.
We do this against the backdrop of continued racial tensions across the country and misinformation around critical race theory permeating our state and our classrooms.
The university’s diversity dashboard shows that black students account for 11% (2021 est.) of the student body and approximately 12.3% (2020 est.) of faculty and staff. These demographics are similar to national statistics however, the dashboard tells a more nuanced story.
Despite the modest numbers, students, faculty and staff have been able to create community through the Office of Equity and Inclusion and affinity groups like the Black Student Association (BSA), the campus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the African Caribbean Union (ACU), Woman2Woman, Man2Man, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), Alpha Phi Alpha and the African American Affinity Group.
There is no monolith of Black experiences on our campus, this series features stories of struggle, resilience, success, ambivalence, exclusion and triumph.
My hope is that as our campus community reads these vinyets, you appreciate the complexities of what it means to be Black at Lynchburg.
Israel Lockamy, ‘21
Masters of Nonprofit Leadership
Photo of Israel Lockamy
For me personally, being an African American student at Lynchburg is not a challenge, I am used to the stereotypes, microaggressions, and the lack of diversity on campus. I honestly enjoy being black on this campus because it gives me more of a reason to set the example for undergraduates as well as my peers. I also feel bad when I cannot be involved in certain programs/events that go on because of my busy schedule with basketball. I am heavily involved on campus and have been for the last five years.
So, I believe it is somewhat my responsibility to set the standard and example for students coming in as well as for the students who look up to me. In no way is this an easy thing to do, but I do it for my family, and for the University because I do believe they care about me and care about my future. Even though I may not always get the recognition that I feel like I deserve all the time, I continue to put my best foot forward because I know it will leave a strong legacy for myself. So, during this Black History Month, I will continue to strive in Black Excellence and set the example for what I feel like is right!
Benita Eyeson, ‘23
Political Science major
Photo of Benita Eyeson
To me, being black at Lynchburg means a lot of things, positive and negative. I am very lucky to find like minded people and friends on this campus because that means that I am able to express my opinion and be heard. Even though there is not a huge black population in the University of Lynchburg, I am still able to find my place and stand out. My sense of style is seen and greatly appreciated.
There are times though that I feel like I am not heard by the majority. And it can sometimes be frustrating, being a person who is a second generation immigrant as well as being black. This is a very tough position to be in because I am greatly influenced by both sides of American culture and African culture.
I do know that there are people who are just like me who experience this dilemma, and it is comforting to know that I am able to fall back on those who have experienced what I have gone through.
Manuela Amouzou, ‘22
Biomedical Science major
Photo of Manuel Amouzou
What does it mean to be Black at the University of Lynchburg? To me this question is very hard to answer because Black people are not a monolith, therefore, I cannot speak for all Black students at UL. Furthermore, a majority of the Black students at UL are African Americans and as a first-generation Cameroonian Togolese I cannot claim to share the exact same experience as they do, however, as a Black woman living in America there should be some similarities.
To me, being Black at UL means never being able to completely relate to and feel understood by a professor, as I have never had a Black professor. Although I have enjoyed and appreciated the amazing professors I have had, I believe that I would be better able to make connections and have role models to look up to if I had professors that look like me, as all the other white students have the opportunity to experience. Being Black at UL means learning how to more effectively navigate white society and (as a Biomedical Science major) it means regularly being one of the few Black people or the only Black person in the classroom. Conversely, being Black at UL means finding unique community as I was able to find in the African Caribbean Union (ACU) and learning about other members of the Black diaspora, as I was able to learn in the Black Student Association (BSA) and Women to Women (W2W).
In sum, I believe that to be Black at UL is a complex experience that, in my opinion, can oftentimes be draining, but also rewarding. Just as racism in the world isn’t over in 2022, I believe that while issues of race are improving at UL there is definitely still more work to be done.
