Friendly and unfriendly schools for URMs Forum

[Stanford4Me]

NYU is cool, there just aren't many of us here. Of course, there aren't many of us in most law schools.

/debby downer.

[notanumber]

Do you really believe that one incident defines a community ?

<--- Boston


TBF, there's virulent racism most everywhere.

[unc0mm0n1]

are you kidding me? Boston is worse than any city in south that still has a kkk branch in my view. I visited the city in 2009 because ive always wanted to see the red sox play. I have never been called the N word for no reason as many times as I was in boston. Barely any black people go to red sox games and i learned why. Just my view.

First, there are many white people in Boston because we are in the North and they are the most populous, hence there are a lot of white people at a Red Sox game, and Red Sox fans are brutal to anyone who isn't like them.

Your example of using a sport event is terrible, especially for blacks. Most major sporting events are attended by primarily whites. Maybe not so where you are from, but it is the norm everywhere else. Go to Texas and watch a Football game, see who you see in the stadiums. This is actually an area I have studied a lot, and a national problem in the USA.

Also, like anywhere, you can have a bad experience. Especially if you are only in town for a short amount of time. This is probably where most people get that idea that Boston is unfriendly and racist, from people who have never lived here.

I'm from Chicago been to sporting events at the united center, Wrigley, Old Chicago Stadium, Comiskey, and Soldiers field never once have I been called a racist remark out right. but lets see what players and sports writers who go to EVERY STADIUM IN THE LEAGUE say.

“.......you have this history of bigotry against African-American people in Boston. The only place I’ve ever been confronted, multiple times, and been called the n-word to my face, is specifically the Boston Garden.... The fact is, Boston has that history, and black players know that, and they do not want to go voluntarily to Boston.”-Michael Wilbon Washington Post

“They’re loud, they’re drunk, they’re obnoxious,” referring to Sox fans, and added that Fenway is “one of the few places you’ll hear racial comments.”-Gary Matthews Jr. outfielder Anaheim Angels

“I won't play there. It’s too racist.”-Barry Bonds, outfielder Sanfrancisco Giants

"Boston is a flea market of racism,”-Bill Russell, Center Boston Celtics after vandals broke into his home just to defecate in his bed.

“Having gone to school up there for three years, it was always an issue, and there were places where you were told, ‘Don’t go,’” Julius “Dr. J” Erving

These are just a few of the quotes I could find. Maybe all these incidents are rare happenstances and some athletes love Boston, but incidents add up and contribute to the way people feel about a place and the way that place actually is.

[Thirteen]

I'm a 1L at SMU, and I love my classmates. There are only 3 other AA students in my section (1 other male, and 2 females), but we get along with everyone.

[dkt4]

The amount of stereotyping and generalizations in this thread is mind boggling.

i don't like to look at history or experience because then i would have preconceived notions of things

[PDaddy]

Yale is the best school for URMs

False. Princeton Law.


Just teasin' op.

Haha. I guess by best I meant most welcoming... I know law schools are going to be predominately Caucasian and that's not an issue. I'm asking more about the culture of the schools. A school may have a (relatively) large URM population, but if there's a sentiment of resentment towards them from other students or any kind of social segregation at all I'd find that to be a problem. Anyone know about the atmosphere/attitude at places like UPenn, Virginia, or Michigan?

Penn treats its URM's extremely well, from all that I have seen and heard, and the BLSA there (one of the best chapters in the country) interacts well with administration. UVA also seems welcoming, but the black polupation is small. Don't just think about the law school, consider the other grad programs. UVA's b-school has one of the greatest academic atmospheres I have seen; it's extremely collegial.

[elm84dr]

are you kidding me? Boston is worse than any city in south that still has a kkk branch in my view. I visited the city in 2009 because ive always wanted to see the red sox play. I have never been called the N word for no reason as many times as I was in boston. Barely any black people go to red sox games and i learned why. Just my view.

First, there are many white people in Boston because we are in the North and they are the most populous, hence there are a lot of white people at a Red Sox game, and Red Sox fans are brutal to anyone who isn't like them.

Your example of using a sport event is terrible, especially for blacks. Most major sporting events are attended by primarily whites. Maybe not so where you are from, but it is the norm everywhere else. Go to Texas and watch a Football game, see who you see in the stadiums. This is actually an area I have studied a lot, and a national problem in the USA.

Also, like anywhere, you can have a bad experience. Especially if you are only in town for a short amount of time. This is probably where most people get that idea that Boston is unfriendly and racist, from people who have never lived here.

I am black and Latino from Boston born and raised. Boston is not a bastion of hate like so many people make it out to be. It is a majority minority city, about 55% of the city is black, Latino and Asian. The populous of people of color is not the most educated so when you go to upscale lounges or an expensive baseball game you will not see too many people of color. I must say I experienced the most racism in Houston (I used to live there) and Atlanta (well right outside of it). I have never noticed people just walking up to black or Latino people calling them racial epithets for fun. I mean, I'm not naive, it happens, but I think if it did happen over and over, it may have been on obnoxious racist, drunk Sox fan at the game.

[elm84dr]

A neighborhood can be 99% white and still welcoming of others, or it can be 50/50 with a lot of tension between two groups.

Hit the nail on the head.

Personally, I was appalled by the incident here after the Harvard-Yale Game last year, and it made me a lot more aware of how unfriendly things can be here.

What incident??

Cure Lounge shut down a black harvard/yale alum party where only college graduates had pre-bought tickets (vast majority harvard/yale) stating that there were gangsters in the line. I was there, it felt horrible. As a sidenote---not an excuse, I was there, dressed and pissed off like everyone else---someone was shot and killed in that same club under the name Aria a year and a half ago on a Latin/Hip-Hop night and they had not yet opened to the general public. It was horrible judgement on the club's staff and the messed up royally and had to pay a 30K fine to the city of Boston and issue a public apology on their website in addition to returing everyone their money.

[thesteelers]

I know I'm necroing a dead thread, but I'd just like to give my point of view about Boston, since I live here. Feel free to ask me any questions. I'm not a URM, but have enough experience (born in New England, etc) to say something I think.

First, there is an element of blue-collar racism here. There are some Irish-run convenience stores that blatantly have signs that say something along the lines of "Irish guys welcome to apply." Of course, if it's in Southie you can pretty much guarantee that it's connected to the Irish mob.

About Cure. I'm shocked to hear that. I've attended an Asian-majority party at Cure (was dating Asian girl at the time) and we were treated really well.

At my law school (BU/BC), URMs may be a minority but they're never made to feel it. I hesitate to say that we are "welcoming" of minorities because that makes it seem like it's a big deal. Nobody makes it a huge deal, they just mingle as if it is as natural as breathing. Interracial dating is very casual, and interracial cliques (snooty law school style!) are also very common. It also helps that, with education and a "cosmopolitan" background (i.e. traveling beyond Europe, being exposes to integrated college cultures/high school cultures) helps, and most law students are upper-middle-class. So they do not necessarily represent Bostonians. However, you should always make that assumption about tier 1 law schools on either coast, and the T-17 in the land-locked areas.

If you go the Suffolk, Northeastern, or New England Law, you are much more likely to encounter hardcore "locals" - the kind of people who are serious Pats fans or Red Sox fans. I don't want to stereotype, of course. Several of the kids from these schools, that I have encountered, fit into this category, but some others do not.

Bottom line: yes, it is sad that Boston is a pretty racist and segregated city unless you happen to be 1) a hot ethnic girl, or 2) middle-class, upper-middle-class or upper-class. It shouldn't have to be that way. The problem is, Boston's reputation for insularity just seems to perpetuate a vicious cycle, and the city doesn't change because blue-collar minorities are scared away for this exact reason.

[J-e-L-L-o]

The amount of stereotyping and generalizations in this thread is mind boggling.

[spleenworship]

University of New Mexico School of Law is very welcoming and friendly to African American, Native American, and Hispanic students. They have large populations of Native American and Hispanic students, especially. In fact, over 10% of the student body is NA and more than 30% is Hispanic.

So while it is a T2, it is very friendly to URMs, IMO.

[John_rizzy_rawls]

I've heard a lot of good things about black student life at Harvard.

[Lacepiece23]

I go to Cornell and its extremely welcoming. The town itself has minorities and is a very progressive town. Also, at the law school for whatever reason minorities seem to do better here than the rest of the T14, which helps the overall atmosphere IMO.

[enigmabk]

Usc is great for urms. It is a vibrant and thriving community overflowing with urms and culture. Some are friendly. Some will mug you. But overalll usc is a great schoool because urms actually are ORMs