Racial Integration in American Higher Education (AHE): Exploring Literature on African American Subcultures
- November 3, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: Education, IJRSI
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705
Joseph Mbogo Wairungu
Curriculum and Instruction, Texas Tech University
Abstract: African Americans value education as their vehicle for a bright future. However, racial segregation continues to hurt equity, diversity, and inclusion in Higher Education in America (AHE). I opine that studying and understanding the post-racial African American subculture could be an integral move in realizing racial integration in AHE. This paper explored literature on African American culture to identify the characteristics that shape their behavior at AHE. It emerged that African Americans continue to be racially segregated in AHE since they could not be assimilated into American culture due to their hair and skin color, their internal culture that influenced how they think and differed from other immigrants, black scholars resistance to use western literary theories in analyzing African American literature due to their uniqueness. Further, Africa Americans continue to view Caucasians with mistrust for distorting their history undervaluing them and providing them with inadequate facilities. I argue that the knowledge that African American’s are unique from other communities and that they have their feelings, and that they are affected by racial segregation can be a first step towards realizing access and equity in AHE.
Keywords: AHE, African American, racial segregation, culture, racial integration, diversity.
I. INTRODUCTION
The majority of institutions of higher education in America (AHE) are geared towards multiculturalism and diversity as a step towards racial integration. Research has linked the challenges of multiculturalism in AHE to racial segregation. Lack of exposure to diverse cultures or other ethnic groups has seen White students experience minimal engagement with students of other ethnicities. For example, Orefield and Lee (2004) noted that the majority of White students had lived segregated lifestyles both in small and larger towns that have isolated them from other races. Chang, Astin, and Kim (2004) also observed that with the unique American society that embraces segregation, White university students will continue to experience minimal contact with other races.
