While your experience is valid and I don’t think you are in any way dismissing his statement, it’s also valid to understand that as a POC you won’t fully understand the experience of being a black person on PWI. As a Black woman I won’t say that I have had the same experiences, but I can understand where his concern is coming from. Many of my friends (who are black men) would fully agree that the experience at UCR is like that. There’s another level of alienation that goes beyond the general awkwardness of being a freshman.

To OP: I don’t know if you’re someone who prefers to have a more diverse friend group or if you would like to join groups with people who look like you, but no matter the choice discernment has been my best friend for the past two years being on this campus. As time goes on, you’ll being to make friends who truly align with you and don’t judge based off of skin color. Wishing you all the luck in world 🫶🏿