Black Students Explore Identity

College, for many students, is a place to discover one's voice and to explore new realms of expressing oneself. Some students reach a fuller understanding of themselves through ethnic student groups, others in Hillel and still others through Harvard Student Agencies.

For A. Ryan Leslie '98, the channel that most resonated with his soul was the Black Men's Forum (BMF).

Leslie's Passion--his very essence--is music, something he first explored on campus with the Krokodiloes a capella group. As chair of Arts and Entertainment for BMF, Leslie organizes jazz recitals and the annual Celebration of Black Women event.

"Singing with the Kroks was a lovely experience," Leslie says. "But there were times when they'd say, 'Ryan, you're giving us too much soul.' In working with the BMF, my creativity is never stifled. Black music has a tremendous freedom of expression."

While the Kroks' musical style reigned in Leslie's artistic freedom, working with black music allows him to improvise and explore a different dimension of himself.

"Black music is rhythm, soul and freedom. Those are things that characterize my music," he says. "I've got to have rhythm. I've got to have soul. I've got to have freedom to improvise."

The point of showcasing and celebrating black music is not, as Leslie explains, to exclude other non-black groups.

"The purpose of diversity is to bring awareness of the beauty and uniqueness of each culture," says Leslie. "The Undergraduate Council's grant application asks what each group can bring to the whole student body. [The Black Men's Forum] wants people to appreciate and see black music. I don't want to have a predominantly black audience at a concert."

On Valentine's Day Leslie produced a hip-hop and rhythm `n blues show at Pforzheimer House. What Leslie described as a "racially diverse" crowd

Part of the Crowd

Not all black students on campus feel thespecial attachment Leslie describes to blackorganizations, however, nor do they necessarilyfeel a need to join such groups.

Naima R. Lilly '01 and Karen R. Edey '01 bothhail from New York City but attended Hotchkiss, aprivate boarding school in Lakeville, Conn. Intheir graduating class, the two estimate that onlyabout 30 out of 550 students were black.

Yet for Edey and Lilly, fellow black studentsat Hotchkiss had such a strong sense of communityand activism that neither woman feels particularlycompelled to explore their racial identity throughblack organizations at the College.

"My first year I wanted to concentrate onacademics and school. I'm just overwhelmed. Ihaven't had time to get involved," says Edey, whohas never participated in the BSA or theFirst-year Black Table despite encouragement to doso.

"There's no pressure to join," she says, "butI've been encouraged to participate."

Edey explains that the Black And HispanicStudents Association at Hotchkiss performed manyof the same functions that the BSA does atHarvard. She and Lilly both agree that after fouryears of intense and thorough discussions on racein high school they have extensively exploredtheir ethnic heritage.

Edey says she may eventually become involved inethnic groups at Harvard, but is content to notparticipate for the moment. Lilly, however, isalready a member of both Kuumba Singers and theFirst-year Step Team, both predominantly blackorganizations.

Sense of Community

Some students, like Edey, take time to easeinto the black community at Harvard.

Dionne A. Fraser '99, vice president of theBSA, initially didn't seek out other blackstudents to discuss issues of ethnicity. By theend of her second semester, however, she wasenveloped in a friendship circle of about 60fellow black first-year students.

"At first I decided that I would befriendwhoever was friendly. And I found friends of allethnic backgrounds," Fraser says. "The Hollis 4[the room where a predominantly black group offriends hung out] crowd already seemed like aclique from the outside and I wasn't going to begmy way into the clique."

When Fraser began to spend time with otherblack students she found that she was able tobounce her ideas of racial identity andresponsibility off peers who shared similarexperiences.

"We had a lot of fun but we also learned a lotfrom being with each other. There was seriousdiscussion; we learned about black life indifferent parts of the country, from St. Louis toFlorida to Chicago," says Fraser.

Reaching Back Home and Moving On

Black students at the College may feel aspecial responsibility to learn about blackhistory and culture in order to return to theircommunities and help improve their neighborhoodconditions, Fraser says.

It's important for blacks to bond on campusbecause, according to Fraser, the real worldchallenges idyllic Harvard Yard notions that blackindividuals can be treated fairly and equally insociety as a whole.

"Nobody in the outside world sees you as aHarvard grad. You get treated like any otherblack, Harvard or no Harvard," Fraser says. "Somepeople [at Harvard] care only about their ownbusiness, but when you go back home you feelsomething's wrong when you see poor neighborhoods.It makes you want to go back to the community totry to help out."

Leslie says the networking that occurs in blackorganizations on campus fosters a spirit ofcommunal responsibility. It is just these valuablerelationships that give black students thepractical knowledge necessary to face life aftercommencement.

"Moving out of school can be a positiveexperience when other people you admire reach backand give you advice," Leslie says. "They'veovercome the same obstacles that I will face."CrimsonValerie A. Edmondson

Part of the Crowd

Not all black students on campus feel thespecial attachment Leslie describes to blackorganizations, however, nor do they necessarilyfeel a need to join such groups.

Naima R. Lilly '01 and Karen R. Edey '01 bothhail from New York City but attended Hotchkiss, aprivate boarding school in Lakeville, Conn. Intheir graduating class, the two estimate that onlyabout 30 out of 550 students were black.

Yet for Edey and Lilly, fellow black studentsat Hotchkiss had such a strong sense of communityand activism that neither woman feels particularlycompelled to explore their racial identity throughblack organizations at the College.

"My first year I wanted to concentrate onacademics and school. I'm just overwhelmed. Ihaven't had time to get involved," says Edey, whohas never participated in the BSA or theFirst-year Black Table despite encouragement to doso.

"There's no pressure to join," she says, "butI've been encouraged to participate."

Edey explains that the Black And HispanicStudents Association at Hotchkiss performed manyof the same functions that the BSA does atHarvard. She and Lilly both agree that after fouryears of intense and thorough discussions on racein high school they have extensively exploredtheir ethnic heritage.

Edey says she may eventually become involved inethnic groups at Harvard, but is content to notparticipate for the moment. Lilly, however, isalready a member of both Kuumba Singers and theFirst-year Step Team, both predominantly blackorganizations.

Sense of Community

Some students, like Edey, take time to easeinto the black community at Harvard.

Dionne A. Fraser '99, vice president of theBSA, initially didn't seek out other blackstudents to discuss issues of ethnicity. By theend of her second semester, however, she wasenveloped in a friendship circle of about 60fellow black first-year students.

"At first I decided that I would befriendwhoever was friendly. And I found friends of allethnic backgrounds," Fraser says. "The Hollis 4[the room where a predominantly black group offriends hung out] crowd already seemed like aclique from the outside and I wasn't going to begmy way into the clique."

When Fraser began to spend time with otherblack students she found that she was able tobounce her ideas of racial identity andresponsibility off peers who shared similarexperiences.

"We had a lot of fun but we also learned a lotfrom being with each other. There was seriousdiscussion; we learned about black life indifferent parts of the country, from St. Louis toFlorida to Chicago," says Fraser.

Reaching Back Home and Moving On

Black students at the College may feel aspecial responsibility to learn about blackhistory and culture in order to return to theircommunities and help improve their neighborhoodconditions, Fraser says.

It's important for blacks to bond on campusbecause, according to Fraser, the real worldchallenges idyllic Harvard Yard notions that blackindividuals can be treated fairly and equally insociety as a whole.

"Nobody in the outside world sees you as aHarvard grad. You get treated like any otherblack, Harvard or no Harvard," Fraser says. "Somepeople [at Harvard] care only about their ownbusiness, but when you go back home you feelsomething's wrong when you see poor neighborhoods.It makes you want to go back to the community totry to help out."

Leslie says the networking that occurs in blackorganizations on campus fosters a spirit ofcommunal responsibility. It is just these valuablerelationships that give black students thepractical knowledge necessary to face life aftercommencement.

"Moving out of school can be a positiveexperience when other people you admire reach backand give you advice," Leslie says. "They'veovercome the same obstacles that I will face."CrimsonValerie A. Edmondson