black community at harvard

[blk_reign]

yeah there are a special group of people at harvard lol...

was that the harry potter day or another occasion? folks out here are real special

how active is the black community at harvard? how is the black community in cambridge?  i come from a really diverse area and i've heard that cambridge/boston is pretty homogenous.  can anyone give insight on what it's like?

it's fine. don't worry. yada yada yada. blacks browns yellows whites... get a grip; its ok.

Nuh uh! Tell 'em about those loony folks playing Frisbee and having hula hoop contests outside in the bitter cold! Or about those people we saw dressed up as wizards and witches that day...outside! Yeah...lots of crazy folks in Cambridge.

Nah, I believe it was the weekend before Halloween.

regarding the OP I'd have to agree with A, HouseBoy, & Lacoste.. it's pretty diverse up here.. although I am not in the law school I can tell you that from what I have seen..there are quite a few blk students here..people seem to stick together but we also branch out and mix things up..

[naturallybeyoutiful]

Yeah, good point... where is Nat? And OSA for that matter...

Lol I was just messing with you.  I don't even go to Harvard.  If House Boy or Lacoste read this, they can probably answer your questions.  I think they're the only Harvardlings around lately.  That said, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

I can't believe you forgot Nat, especially after seeing bakongo's 'tar!  And though she's in a different program, I'm sure blk would have things to say too.

Lol I didn't forget either of them...but I said "around lately," and I haven't seen either of them around lately.

Awww....hey, guys!!!!     I decided to take a quick break from my Contracts reading and check the forum.  I'm glad to know I was missed.  Things have been getting crazy for the last few weeks, but thankfully -- there are only two more days of classes left.  Hopefully, after January exams, I'll be back in action!   


Anywho...

how active is the black community at harvard? how is the black community in cambridge?  i come from a really diverse area and i've heard that cambridge/boston is pretty homogenous.  can anyone give insight on what it's like?

This is a fantastic question, and I can't get into all the particulars now, but suffice it to say -- I love it here!  Note, however, that the black community at HLS and that of Cambridge (or Boston, for that matter) are two different matters.  The former is great (and was a factor in deciding to come here in the first place)...the latter had me wanting to leave this city and move back South (note: I've lived and worked here for four years before HLS).  Despite the diverse backgrounds of the people who live here, I do find each city to still be racially stratified/polarized in ways that really count (eg schools, housing, etc.).  I wouldn't let that stop you from coming here though.  Besides, as a law student (or at least as a 1L, I should say, you don't have all that much time to be out exploring the city anyway.   )

As for the black community at HLS, I think Houseboy's description was pretty accurate.  At the same time, for what it's worth, I think the 1L class this year seems to be pretty close-knit and has a substantial representation of African-Americans (as opposed to Africans, immigrants, etc.).  I definitely feel like the number of blacks on campus makes us strong enough to be a presence, while at the same time diverse enough that there's someone for everyone, so to speak.  I think you have the freedom to just be yourself, and you'll find many like-minded black friends, too.

BLSA is very active here, and you'll meet some great people through the program.  If you come, I'd encourage you to go to the Martha's Vineyard trip at the beginning of the semester because that's a great bonding experience for people across all three classes.  BLSA also has a tremendous number of opportunities and resources (from workshops to study aids to game nights to job fairs) that you can take advantage of, and you can be involved as much or as little as you want.  Knowing that there's a system already in place that is there to help you navigate as you go helps to ease the transition for black students, I think. 

At the same time, I think it's important to know that there are lots of opportunities to engage with *ALL* kinds of people.  If you come here, hopefully you will get a great section where people are just really open and chill with one another. My section-mates and I were talking the other day, and we realized that we have a pretty diverse section.  We have the greatest number of black students in any section, a sizable contingent of Jewish students, a small group of Asian students, and a tiny smattering of Latino students (mostly bi-racial or multi-racial).  Probably 40% of our section fits into those categories I named though, so perhaps my experience has been colored by that fact, no pun intended.     I had heard some horror stories and was a bit reluctant to come to HLS because I feared the racial climate on campus would be too uncomfortable for me.  That simply has not been my experience, and I really don't anticipate it ever being so.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not so naive as to think that racial issues don't exist here (either within or without the black community.)  Whenever people come together, you will always see human nature rearing its ugly head, so to speak.  I just think it's important to note that, for me, HLS is no worse than any other place I've been.  In other words, if you've made it this far -- you'll do fine here, too.


So, in a nutshell, I'm having a great time, meeting some great people, and definitely confident that this was the right place for me.

::scurries back to the books::

[A.]

Hey Nat!!  Good luck with the end of the semester and exams

[Miss P]

Hey Nat!!  Good luck with the end of the semester and exams

Ditto!  I'm glad we got your ears burning enough to come out.

[CandyMonster]

These online forums have a fair number of anti-AA flamers. Has anyone encountered that kind of animosity during law school?

[Statistic]

I haven't. Y'all are really gonna' have to man up.

[CandyMonster]

I haven't. Y'all are really gonna' have to man up.

How does wanting to know what to expect somehow = not wo"man"ing up? 

[Statistic]

Cuz y'all actin' like lil bitches right now. I'm sorry, but y'all are.

[CandyMonster]

Cuz y'all actin' like lil bitches right now. I'm sorry, but y'all are.

I am curious about what you get out of acting the way you do. It's so juvenile. 

[nikegrrlvj]

Here's a question for current students at HLS:

How diverse is the black community itself? Being biracial (half black/half white) I've often found black student groups reluctant in accepting me. I understand the various historical/political reasons that can go into this type of thought, but I was just wondering if this is the environment I'll experience at Harvard?