School Daze: 1.5%

Is this progress?

Last month I began a postgraduate course at the University of Oxford. Oxford is one of the premiere research institutions in the world, a University with a history that stretches back as far as the beginning of the collegiate system. The international model for higher education is based from a trio of academic communities that began in Oxford in 1249. I know, I know.. who cares right? Well the aspect of time plays a significant role in my beef with Oxford. To put things into perspective the University of Oxford is two-hundred years older than the explorers who led expeditions to Asia, North and South America. The college I belong to, St. Edmund Hall, is almost five hundred years older than George Washington.

I think it’s fair to assume that after almost eight hundred years of development a University with such rich history should be a model for its predecessors. The institution itself should be an exemplary case of economic, social, and academic excellence. Although Oxford is many of these things and more there is a perpetual lack of color. The proportion of black students admitted to Oxford per year has ranged between 1 and 1.5 percent over the last five years. What’s worse, this is a well-known and regularly discussed fact.The question is when will it be addressed accordingly?

The matter of equitable representation at the collegiate level is not a 21st century concern. And in fact not a problem only facing European Universities. When I started my course last month I wondered what systems of value would dictate the way I would be identified. As a black guy, an American, a Graduate student? What troubled me the most were memories from my time at the University of Virginia where a similar dynamic plagued the school. Despite my affection for UVA there is still much to be done. Consequently, I wasn’t very excited about returning to the same optically homogenous environment.

In the American interpretation of the term— I expected Oxford to be predominately “white.” I wasn’t wrong. In England ethnic heritage isn’t predicated on skin color like it is in the states. Since Oxford attracts students from every country in the world the campus is home to an impressive amalgam of language and culture. You’re more likely to win an argument that diversity isn’t related to skin color in Britain than you are in the U.S., because of Europe's history with emigration. In the U.S. the term “white” links skin color to a particular cultural background. In Oxford two people with fair skin are likely to be from two entirely different countries.

I’ve only begun to scratch the surface on how this impacts students of color living in Oxford. Regardless, it’s far too easy to walk around the Oxford campus without seeing one POC. And this is directly attributed to the Universities admissions model. The root of the problem is much more complex than race. It’s a discussion about social class, geography, and familial history. While the University has pledged thousands toward improvements they still have to solve the problem of how to directly and consistently affect these numbers.

Meanwhile, I guess I’ll just rewatch Insecure in my room. Issa knows how I feel.