Talking Stick - March/April 2019 - 53

of Racial Underrepresentation
advice on how to best anticipate and negotiate the complexities and racial politics of their departments. Also
useful was the availability of someone who could offer
culturally comfortable opportunities for engagement,
unfiltered feedback and trustworthy perspectives on
professional and personal matters, and informal observations of older, same-race staff members and administrators who were effective and seemingly well respected
by their White colleagues and students. "Knowing I
could always rely on [her] made it easier for me to go
back to my dorm and be the only Black RA." The value
of same-race representation was also captured in the
following story shared by a first-year RA who worked on
a staff with six other Black RAs: "I was going to quit at
the end of this semester; there was just too much going
wrong and I didn't feel like I was developing at the rate
I needed to. The stress was major-the stress this job
puts you through especially with bosses who don't look
like you. I got to the point where I couldn't deal with it
anymore. But I had really close relationships with those
six; that is a big part of me staying." This same student
was asked to predict how different his RA experience
would have been were those six others not on his staff.
He replied, "I would have quit because it all would have
been on me to figure it out and represent Black people
all by myself."
Other participants discussed the unfair burden of
racial representation that was placed on them by residents and co-workers alike. Having to speak on behalf
of the entire race was commonplace, as was "explaining
that not every Black person fits the stereotype you see
on television." Some also noticed they were frequently
approached by White RAs to resolve issues that dealt
specifically with Black or Latino residents. One participant shared his frustration with White RAs who sought
his "expertise" in these situations: "I was like you are
on the same level as me, so why are you knocking on
my door? Didn't you go through the same training as me
at the beginning of the year?" Others recalled instances
where they were forced into positions to advance the
"angry Black man" stereotype - a threatening disposition of aggression and violence . . . opposite of the "nice

Black man" phenomenon . . . On one campus, an RA felt
like he was the only student who spoke up in staff meetings with supervisors. Reportedly, his White peers would
express their frustrations whenever supervisors were not
around, but would remain silent in meetings, look to him
to raise their collective concerns, and typically would
not back him up once those issues were on the table for
discussion. "This pisses me off 'cause I feel like they set
me up to look like the angry Black man. It is funny too
because I feel like these same people who set me up
also end up thinking that I am always angry. I am tired of
putting myself out there."

"The problem is that res life says
it wants more minorities, but it
has no minorities higher up.
So how can they expect to attract
more of us and make us feel like
we belong?"
An RA who had decided against returning for a third
year of service commented on the ramifications of being
viewed as the angry Black man. Accordingly, "[White
co-workers] don't encourage or appreciate Black males
who come off as threatening to them." A fellow participant in the same focus group followed up by noting that
what may be misperceived as threatening is oftentimes a
mere cultural difference in verbal communication. Others
expounded on the challenge of being put in the silencing
position of withstanding racial insults, unfair treatment,
and dissatisfaction with various aspects of the job, but
maintaining composure to positively thwart the caricature of Black men as angry. These were just some of the
challenges associated with being among the few people
of color on their residence hall staffs.

MARCH + APRIL 2019

Talking Stick - March/April 2019

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