MCPS Grad: It [Montgomery Co.] is also largely segregated and fiercely competitive. I grew up surrounded by so much privilege it was possible for many residents to ignore race and class inequality entirely."

Finding Growth at My Historically Black College

“A black school? But you’re so smart, you could go anywhere.”

That was the reaction I got when I told some high school friends that I would attend Spelman, a historically black women’s college in Atlanta. I know they thought they were complimenting me.

At first, I tried to justify my decision, pointing to the college’s notable alumnae and research opportunities. But the fact that Spelman is the nation’s top-ranked historically black college was lost on them. I couldn’t make my peers understand the experience of a black student in an overwhelmingly white school. I couldn’t convey the significance of historically black colleges and universities...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/opinion/sunday/finding-growth-at-my-historically-black-college.html?_r=0