Dear future PWI student,

Here is what I wish someone would have told me when I started college: you are beautiful. Remember that, because aside from the normal amount of stress and insecurities teenagers experience when they go off to college you will have to deal with another set of pressures that your white counterparts won’t be able to identify with no matter how much some of them want to. You’re black. They are not. As unfair as it is, society has predestined both groups to different sets of experiences and your blackness will play a role in your experience at that PWI.

It’s an inevitable concept and an important one. No matter how exceptional you are, you will not be able to walk around campus with your resume stapled to your chest. As sad as it is, there will come a time when your intelligence will be challenged and not in the academic way that it is supposed to be at institutions of higher learning. It might start with a look that you notice from across the room or your professor assuming that you must be the “Chante,” “Shariah,” or “Makaylah” on her roster. It could also start at a party when they’re playing rap or hip hop and your friends assume you know the song and expect you to lead them in “twerking” or “doing the nae nae.” It could even happen during class discussions when you’re put on the spot to be the “black spokesperson” on a certain topic. Believe it or not, some people really do have the nerve to ask us whether or not we know our biological fathers (yes, I speak from experience). All of these micro-aggressions could happen anywhere to be honest, but what makes it so imperative that you’re ready for them at your college or university is the responsibility to do something about it.

You may not be able to do too much about micro-aggressions in a grocery store or a coffee shop without having to take some calculated risks, but college is an institution that is supposed to promote growth and progress. You will have access to tangible change and the need for you to tap into the power that you have is great. If being an activist is what is in your heart, then do it! Reach out to people who have gone before you, try to find a black student alliance or movement on campus (start one if it’s absent!), and do not give up. This will not, by any means, be easy. If it’s easy, you haven’t really accomplished anything important. The only thing that I can guarantee you about choosing to speak up is that it is worth it. You can be as deeply involved as you want to be and no matter what level of activism you’re comfortable with, it is worth it. This is the prime time for you to begin making a difference. During this period of your life, you will mature in ways that you can’t even fathom right now but I can tell you that the woman you are set to become is capable of achieving whatever she wants, especially if she wants is to make a positive difference.

However, fighting the good fight might not mean that you have to make speeches or hold rallies if that isn’t what is set on your heart to do. It’s also important to understand that the responsibility that you were meant to carry out could very well be to be the best version of yourself as possible. That counts as doing something! Micro-aggressions are designed to assign you to a role and frame you within a set of preconceived notions. You are not a stereotype, you don’t owe them anything, and you are brilliant. It is going to be hard for you to remember that sometimes, but it’s the truth. You don’t even have to focus on proving them wrong, just prove yourself to be right. Show yourself that you are capable and show yourself that you are stronger than ignorance. Not allowing them to affect you in a negative way is just as important as protesting, to heal your spirit in a more fulfilling way.The ultimate form of defiance is to show them that your happiness is not contingent on their acceptance of you.

Regardless of where your destiny leads you, be sure that you must do only one thing: Own. Your. Blackness. You have every right to talk about it. Be loud. Be angry. Be aggressive. Be crazy. Take risks. Make them listen. People have fought and died for you to be where you are. If others are afraid of your anger, then they do not understand and you can let them sit back and watch #blackgirlmagic make moves. Your aggression is valid and the best evidence of that is how quickly they begin to fear us when we call on Malcolm X when as we speak, call on Stokely Carmichael when we march and call on Elijah Muhammad in how we live. Learn about the revolution and take those lessons with you where ever you go. Being black, let alone being a woman, let alone being an LGBTQAI woman, is hard work. If you're ever afraid or feeling unsafe on your campus, go back and read your history. We are kings and queens and abolitionists. Freedom fighting is what has you and all of us where we are and it is exactly what will get us through these tough times. Some of your classmates will not understand, but that doesn't mean that you diminish yourself or allow their ignorance to penetrate your inner circle. You have every right to decide what your life will look like. Take up space!

You chose your respective institution for a reason, and I commend you for that. As acceptance letters start rolling in, please understand that it’s going to be a different type of journey for you. Go to school with your head held high and be comfortable with the fact that when ignorance comes your way that you will be able to handle it. Exams, papers, and test grades are enough to make any college student contemplate their worth and the additional challenge of having to prove yourself can be overwhelming. Our parents always say that we have to be twice as good to get half of the recognition. This is part where you figure out that they were right. Try to keep in mind that you earned your spot there and that you are not a quota. Fight to keep your sanity and security. Being the black girl on campus will make the experience different for you, but will you use your race as wind in your face or wind beneath your wings?

Sincerely,

Current PWI student