My HBCU Dreams, My PWI Reality: A Gen X Story

In The Know with Tony Reeves

In this deeply personal episode, I reflect on my experience as a Black Generation Xer attending a predominantly white university in the years after the civil rights movement. While my dreams were shaped by stories of HBCUs, my reality landed me in a space where I was one of the few — constantly navigating identity, isolation, and subtle forms of exclusion. From culture shock to classroom dynamics, I unpack what it meant to pursue higher education where representation was nearly nonexistent and support often felt just out of reach. This is more than a college story — it’s a lesson in survival, self-discovery, and reclaiming pride in spaces not built for us.In this deeply personal episode, I reflect on my experience as a Black Generation Xer attending a predominantly white university in the years after the civil rights movement. While my dreams were shaped by stories of HBCUs, my reality landed me in a space where I was one of the few — constantly navigating identity, isolation, and subtle forms of exclusion. From culture shock to classroom dynamics, I unpack what it meant to pursue higher education where representation was nearly nonexistent and support often felt just out of reach. This is more than a college story — it’s a lesson in survival, self-discovery, and reclaiming pride in spaces not built for us.
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