The Ohio Student Association, or OSA, and faculty research collaborators released the Ohio Black Student Equity Report during a virtual press conference Thursday, Aug. 24.
The Ohio Black Student Equity Report is the most comprehensive study to date of Black students’ university experiences and needs in Ohio, according to OSA’s press release. The report is based on interviews with 361 students across 12 public, four-year universities and one private four-year university.
Students were surveyed on their experiences with financial aid, campus policing and other varying campus and state issues.
Prentiss Haney is the executive director of OSA and co-director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. He highlighted the importance of the report, citing it as the first of its kind where actual research is conducted to back up what is happening at universities in Ohio.
Haney said after George Floyd’s death in 2020, many Black students started taking the initiative to demonstrate the need for change across campuses.
“Black students on campus finally had enough with the conditions that they were experiencing on campus, and they wanted to have an outlet to show through research that there are real issues happening on our campuses,” Hanley said.
Everett Smith, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati, is one of the researchers who wrote the report and designed the survey. He said some of the things that stood out the most from the reports were students’ notions of engagement with their faculty and college leaders.
“Some (students) had very negative experiences or uncomfortable experiences or didn’t feel comfortable going to different areas on campus, not just in terms of the social environment, but in terms of support,” Smith said. “They knew where to go, but they didn't feel necessarily as comfortable going there.”
Smith said the report showed that Black students were more apprehensive when going around historically white areas on campus and feeling unsafe. He added that there were concerns for these students about their engagement with the police, campus bullies and on-campus mental health services.
“Students from (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or) HBCUs, tend to be much more comfortable on their college campus, generally across the board, when compared to data,” Smith said.
Brielle Shorter, a sophomore at Ohio State University, is the associate vice chair of student experience for the Undergraduate Black Caucus and a part of the Undergraduate Society of Black Leaders.
Shorter’s childhood experiences of undermining racial intentions forged her path toward advocacy. She said she is now determined to strengthen the voices of those who are marginalized and unheard.
She said there is a lack of mental health support for people of color within Ohio’s school systems. Shorter said it’s creating a sense of uncertainty for students’ shared values and futures.
“(The report found that) 45% of students reported feeling unsure about whether their university’s mental health staff can support and truly aid Black students,” Shorter said
Samira Atkins is a junior at Case Western Reserve University and a member of the Case Western Reserve University Black Student Union and OSA. Atkins said although the university is located in a majority Black populated area, its student body does not reflect the city or Ohio.
Atkins said, that according to recent statistics provided by the university, only 7% of all students at Case Western Reserve University are African American.
“This raises a reasonable concern for Black students that attend this university because there is a power in numbers,” Atkins said. “What I mean by that is that a lack of representation in the student body, faculty and staff can lead – and have had led – to detrimental effects amongst the Black students.”
Atkins shared experiences of feeling isolated and not seeing much of herself in the university, making her feel like her voice was not strong enough. She said the underrepresentation in a city like Cleveland needs to be addressed.
In 2020, a proposal was written addressing some concerns about underrepresentation, which led to some actions being taken; however, with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling to reverse affirmative action, Atkins wants to ensure that progress toward this matter continues.
OSA is in collaboration with Policy Matters Ohio to come four high-level recommendations for state investments that are needed and what universities have the authority to do to change.
One is to develop a statewide collaborative of institutions of higher education that will focus on supporting Black students. The second is to build a system of accountability for campus policing. The third is to make sure that all Ohians have access to a complete higher education. The last piece is protecting Black students from harmful anti-diversity legislation.
“This report is not just a call to action at the universities but the call to action to students that you no longer have to wait for your universities to decide if they care about you.” Hanley said. “If they will invest their money. If they want to invest their time and talent. You should take this report and say, ‘What are you going to do now?’”
From the findings in the report, Shorter said she feels more confident, has a sense of responsibility and has a new belief in the power of education and its potential to uplift individuals and communities.
“Let’s embrace the findings of the Black Equity Report and use it as a call to action, an opportunity to reshape the trajectory of our educational system, and use it as a testament to our commitment to a brighter and more inclusive future for all Ohioans,” Shorter said.
A full link to the copy of the Ohio Black Student Equity Report can be found here.
MadisonKennedy17
