The University of Connecticut announced last week that it is creating a living-learning community for African-American male students, drawing praise from researchers concerned with the low graduation rates of–and racism against–black men on campus, and criticism from those who view the plan as racial and gender segregation.
Freshmen and sophomores will begin living in the Scholastic House of Leaders who are African-American Researchers and Scholars–or ScHOLA2RS House–this fall. While male students of any race may apply to the program, it is designed to “support the scholastic efforts of male students who identify as African-American,” the university’s description of the program says.
{snip} While many colleges over the years have had living spaces that were described primarily for those interested in African-American, Latino or Asian culture, and that have housed primarily or entirely groups of people who are black, Latino or Asian, those colleges have generally stressed that the key factor was the shared interest in a culture, not identity as a member of a group.
The UConn announcement, however, follows student protests that have demanded ethnic-based housing, citing hostile environments they face on campus. And UConn is not alone. Last month, the University of Iowa announced a similar living-learning community, and Princeton University has created several “affinity rooms” in its Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding, in which students of various races and ethnicities can gather. ...
Posts
