2. Personal Account
I, Tabari Hines, went through a big culture shock when i came to college because
it was the first time I have been around more people that didn't look like me. I
came from a place that was surrounded with people who looked like me and the
first time I got to college, that narrative changed. Being a black student athlete
comes with its challenges when you are attending a predominantly white
institute. From feeling a sense of home, comfortable, and fitting in to even just
trying to have fun around campuses. It was a major adjustment that took awhile
for me to grasp. This diversity or lack of diversity caused lots of challenges and
misunderstandings for underrepresented students that led to a slower
development.
3. By The Numbers
African American Athletes In NCAA Division 1 Universities - >50%
College enrollments that are underrepresented/minorities - 29.4%
Total undergrad Black Men population in the 65 Power Five Schools- 2.4%
Black Men in the 65 Power Five Schools- 55%
***Power Fives Schools are the schools that are represented in the 5 major
conferences in the country (SEC, ACC, BIG10, BIG12, Pac12)
4. Other Accounts
Davon Dillard “Going to a school where most of the people are the same color as you, it’s almost like you can let
your guard down a little bit. You don’t have to pretend to be somebody else. You don’t have to dress this way, or do things
this way. It’s like, ‘I know you. We have the same kind of struggles. We can relate.’ It’s almost like you’re back at home in
your neighborhood.”
Amari Jackson “Being African American at a predominately white school is very challenging. I feel very left out on
a lot of things that go on around campus so I barely communicate with my peers that dont look like me because I dont
know how to relate. The only reason i attended this school because I feel like I would get a better chance than if i went to
a historical black college”
Deonte Ramsey “My situation is different from most of my college friends because I was raised in a white
neighborhood and went to a school that was already majority Caucasian so I was already exposed to some of the things
that my friends have a hard time adjusting to”.
5. Why Does This Matter?
Every parent worries about their child as they send them off to college. The
biggest issue in this matter is how will their child development
continue to trend in the right direction.
6. Erikson's Identity Development
Erikson’s Identity Development Theory is a very well-known theory that describes a person’s
development throughout their lifetime in eight stages. Each stage “is distinguished by a psychosocial
crisis, or ‘turning point,’ that must be resolved by balancing the internal self and the external
environment” (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010, pp. 48-49). The external environment in this
case is the institution’s campus culture, that is most likely predominantly white; a culture most
underrepresented students are not accustomed to.
7. Eriksons Identity Development Continued..
identity vs. role confusion
● A person’s identity is how they view
themselves, and their view of identity can
change drastically when thrown into a
culture they have not seen before.
● a white student will not deal with identity
and role confusion as drastically as an
underrepresented student at a PWI,
because the white student has been living
within that culture for the entirety of
their life.
intimacy vs. isolation
● Relationships created in the lives of
young adults
● Example: was denied getting into a party
because I didn’t look like everyone else
that was there, Rather than having
intimate relationships with fellow
students, underrepresented students can
live isolated lives, which can cause them
to interact with those of the same
ethnicity or race, hindering their holistic
development.
***According to Erikson, if an individual has a problem in any of the eight stages, they could develop an identity crisis
that would affect them later in life.
8. So What Now What?
● increase of underrepresented students will not be enough to support the
students through the challenges facing them and their development.
● For that reason, a huge responsibility falls on the PWI’s to foster an
environment that every student can succeed and develop properly in.
● A more diverse college context requires greater institutional planning and
forethought.
9. Solution
● Further educate yourself about the challenges facing underrepresented students and how it can affect their
development and academic success.
● Understand that your child may be experiencing culture shock and be understanding and willing to talk.
● Support affirmative action as a means to increase campus diversity.
● Before your child chooses an institution of higher education, research their demographics and how they
include underrepresented students within their culture. Make sure they are doing their part in fostering an
atmosphere of inclusion and success.
● Ask questions!
