Desaturated

Some students at the University of Iowa go to great lengths to conceal their true personality.

May 13, 2015

IOWA CITY, IA — When it comes to interacting with white students, being black isn’t an option.

“Duh. I feel like white people can’t handle it,” University of Iowa Student Government Diversity Liaison and Iowa sophomore Gabrielle Miller said. “Often black people, especially women, are perceived as combative. Therefore, I tone [my personality] down.”

Currently out of the 31,387 students at the UI, 2.7 percent — or 847 students — identify as African American, according to the fall 2014 Iowa registrar profile of students.

Some students at Iowa feel the need to change how they speak, dress, or behave in public to avoid being judged based on the stigmas attached to their cultures.

“I tend to use the ‘acceptable’ vocabulary,” said President of the Alpha Theta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Inc., Director of Programming for the University of Iowa chapter of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Iowa sophomore Shawn Boursiquot. “I think twice before I say anything, the whole double-conscious thing.”

Students have taken it upon themselves to assume two identities, one for their true self and a façade for interactions with those outside their race. Students have found that when people who aren’t familiar with African-American culture hear the way they talk or see how they act, they draw conclusions — conclusions based on the stigma associated with what is to be black in America.

Even when playing the dual roles, some still find it hard to be judged based their actions instead of preconceived notions.

“The part of the report card I looked forward to was the comments section where the teachers would say how they really felt about you. ‘She’s a wonderful young lady with a sunny disposition and extremely articulate’,” said senior Journalism and Mass Communications advisor Tyra Nelson. “I took that as a compliment, because it was a big word and I loved words, but number two was because nobody black was called articulate. When I look back on it now I understand the code of that ‘she knows how to speak in a dialect that is not Black English.’ ”

Backhanded compliments such as this are common things heard by black children. It is one of many forms of subconscious racism faced in the African American community. These statements usually do not come with any actual malice but the undertones convey a hurtful message. What is meant to be a compliment is actually shock that a black child can grasp English.

“As I child I have been told that I ‘speak English so well’,” said Iowa senior Ahyanna Tolbert. “After I heard those comments, I knew she was ignorant.”

No matter how hard some try the stereotypes and stigmas of what it means to be black constantly hangs over their head.

“At first I liked it, it was like a pat on the back,” Iowa freshman Gio Lirano said. “Until you realize that they’re saying that you pass. You’re the token negro, one of the good ones. It’s like I’m being separated from my culture.”

What is it about Black English that creates these impressions of a lesser intellect?

The American Speech and Hearing Association defines a speech disorder as an inability to produce speech sounds correct or fluent, or a problem with one’s voice; while a speech difference is a variant in a language. Differences can be an alternate enunciation of speech sounds or a divergence in what is considered to be the normal set of rules. As long as a dialogue is rule-governed it considered a language or dialect.

“Take the word ‘bet’ it’s like a challenge in slang, but it can change with inflection and tone depending on who I am talking to,” Iowa senior Reggie Ross said.

The English language can be divided into countless dialects: southwest American, South African, and British. There is even a dialect from the south side of Chicago. Each region has their own enunciation for vowels and consonants combined with regional jargon can lead to confusion when communication with people from other regions. For example, on the south side of Chicago words like “store” will be pronounced as “stow.”

“People are not really socialized to value other forms of social capital or other peoples experiences, because we’re very segregated by race and social income, which perpetuates the situation of us not understanding each other,” said assistant professor of Sociology and African American Studies Jessica Welburn.

So, whether it is right or wrong, African-American and black students have changed how they interact with others  — and sometimes it includes changing who they are.

“Apart of being a minority in the United States is understanding how the majority will perceive you. Research has shown, and we’ve seen it in our research, that African-Americans have to work really hard,” Welburn said. “They have a diverse set of strategies for navigating different kinds of interactions to combat stigmatization and racial discrimination. To ensure they are able to take advantage of opportunities.”

And, the students said, it’s best to hide your culture in a society where it isn’t appreciated or recognized.

“When I was growing up I was taught to talk more ‘proper’ around white people, because people would think I was from inner-city Chicago,” said the University of Iowa Black Student Union president Bryan Porter. “And they would judge me. When I did talk properly they would say ‘Oh, he speaks so well’ and now it’s just how I talk. Now I just say what I want. Now I just try and be consistent.”

But students don’t have one way or one place in which they can be themselves. Instead, they take a variety of approaches to combat these stigmas.

“I feel that because of the stereotypes associated with black people, especially black women, you have to make sure you don’t feed into the stereotypes so they don’t look at you that way,” Tolbert said. “[White people] already look down at you, so you have to do everything in your power to go against that, even if you don’t want to. To make sure you don’t prove them right.”

Other students have just accepted that this is the way they are and refuse to hide it.

“I don’t feel the need to change who I am for anyone,” Iowa freshman London Suber said. “I’m proud of my culture and my character. I know what I stand for and what I can do in life. My features do not determine that.”

For these students, it’s a struggle to constantly be more than who they really are — but at the same time different version of themselves.

“It sucks. Who we are isn’t enough, me being natural isn’t enough. But for them being themselves is completely acceptable. They don’t ever have to regulate themselves,” Miller said. “A white woman would never be asked to put on a wig, she wouldn’t be asked to straighten her hair. But I’ve been asked to. They’ll never have to do what we have to do. It’s just so many negative stereotypes and stigmas attached to being a black woman.”

Despite the bleak circumstances, some find the silver lining in the daily battle.

“I look at code switching as a sign of resilience, as a sign of strength. Do I think it adds additional pressure to an experience? Absolutely. Because you have to be aware in a way white people don’t have to be aware,” Nelson said. “You need to be aware of how you say things, the way they come out of your mouth, the way you [physically] position yourself. There’s an extra complexity in the awareness that you have to have when being African-American.”

Code switching is the act of altering your speech and mannerism to fit the situation you’re in. How you would alter how you talk to your mom versus your friends. Except with minorities they have to have a different character for their mom, boss, and one for the white people in their life.

What would you do knowing that being yourself is something that is loathed by mainstream society, do you code switch every second of your life or do you spend your life explaining why you’re so unapologetically black?