My one piece of advice to college students is to study abroad no matter what your major is, especially Black Americans. I believe when traveling abroad, we can’t allow ourselves to get offended by questions and stares because it is such a unique space. You must be patient and willing to answer any and all questions ranging from the ridiculous to the mundane. By doing this, it allows you to become better knowledgeable about another culture and ideals, but also the people of the host nation have a better understand of what it means to be Black American that is not misrepresented by the media. This is the time when we as Black Americans have to suck up our pride and represent our race, because we may be the first and only Black American that people around the world have had the opportunity to meet.
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Without question I identify most with Sierra Leonean culture. It wasn’t until I came to Morehouse College that I had my first real experience with black American culture. It’s hard to put into words why I failed to have experienced black American culture because to white America I am viewed as a black American male. However, when I try to relate to the same culture I am associated with, I fail because I was not raised with the same type of “black American experience.” I frequently hear people say that if you are black and in America you by default have a sense of what it means to be black American, but in my own personal journey and comparing my experience to my black American friends, I have not found that to be true.
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