Travis’s Comments (group member since Jan 13, 2014)

Travis’s comments from the LMU First To Go Community group.

As Cedric arrives at college, he realizes a significant amount of students at Brown University have divided themselves into representative ethnic groups on campus. These groups bolster a student's attitude about his or her culture, but it can similarly polarize the campus, thus creating a hostile environment for students. Maintaining one's cultural identity is critical to the development of self-identity. However, it is just as crucial to be exposed to the different traditions and customs that a person will inevitably encounter in their lifetime. This proposed combination can bring about an entirely different perspective and set of characteristics from within a person.

Early on in his life, Cedric was implicitly and explicitly told by those around him that he was different from the typical child that his neighborhood produced. He had a chance to make it out of that neighborhood. Once he entered Brown, his confidence was shaken and his identity was challenged. Not wanting to fall into the category of a black student because of his previous experiences at Ballou, he stayed clear of Harambee House as well as all of the other social entities, despite the fact that he was constantly invited. Had he joined one these groups, it could have provided him with perspectives that differ from his own, which would be refreshing and would allow to open his mind to new ideas.

On the other hand, it could have caused him to also become even more prejudice against those who were not like him. Cedric believed that Blacks and Whites act differently and there is rarely an overlap between the two. He could have felt even further out of place in either group. Already having a predisposition as to how blacks behave and what they are like, based on his high school, it is possible that he could have seen the fulfillment of his stereotypes while in all-black environments. This would further his separation from that group and cause him to isolate himself more so than he already had while in high school and at Brown.