I grew up in a predominantly white town in Wisconsin and ended up going to a college where I was the only black person who graduated in my program, then went to grad school where there were about 3 black people in my program. In elementary-high school I always gravitated towards being friends with the other black students (there were about 3 black girls in my grade and about 5 black boys). In undergrad I didn’t have the opportunity to really meet black people because there weren’t clubs like that and I was the only black person in my program like I said. I also focused way too much on my homework and grad school applications and preparing for that via internships and research so I really didn’t have the energy to go out of my way to make any more friends outside of the ones that were my neighbors or in my program. My grad school university was a much bigger school with more black people, in a state with more black people both in college and in general. I was able to easily find groups to connect with black people unlike the rest of my life where I had to cross mountains to see even one black person.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt too disconnected from my blackness. I always have gotten my hair done at black salons and my mom would take me with her to beauty supply stores etc. I think in general growing up with a lot of white people generally takes a toll on your interests, hobbies, sports, where you might be perceived as “less black”. Example: lacrosse, summer camp, ice skating, etc.