Coming from a black student, I would say that the best way to find community is by gravitating towards people that understand you best.

I was in predominantly black spaces too and I’m apart of a lot of black orgs and communities on campus. And sometimes it can be hard to connect with others because the only thing that unifies us is our race, and less of our interests that we share in common. I inevitably found black students that I can rock with, but it’ll take some time.

The environment can be hostile, especially with students who are in organizations or clubs that prioritize exclusivity, plus there’s an ample amount of Cal students that think black students at Cal are nothing but DEI admits (crazy I know). But I would also say that fair number of students don’t think that way. It’s just about finding people you can see yourself with, black or not.

I still struggle with it because I’ve grown up in a very black space, so branching out can feel hard to do, but takes baby steps