For many students, the quintessential vision of the University experience involves crowded house parties, late-night conversations with new friends and enjoying the newfound sense of freedom that comes with living away from home for the first time. While this experience may be the reality for some, Black students at the University often navigate social spaces that come with additional complexities.
From the University’s robust Greek life scene to that of lecture halls, many environments require adjusting to predominately white settings and social dynamics. In these spaces — both on Grounds and within the broader social scene of Charlottesville — Black students may encounter challenges that shape their University experience.
Black students already make up one of the smallest groups at the University — with approximately 13 percent of the University’s student body identifying as Black or African American. First-year College student Chloe Smith noted how being one of the few Black students in the classroom can make group discussions become uncomfortable quickly, causing her to fear that other students will not fully understand her perspectives or opinions.
Smith described an awkward situation in one of her classes where her teacher assigned groups and encouraged students to discuss prompts amongst themselves — only for her to be completely ignored by her all-white male group members.
“The beginning of the semester was really hard because I was in a lot of collaborative group work in a lot of classes, and I got put in a group in my Engagements [course], an all-white guy group, [and] they would not acknowledge me,” Smith said.
Smith said that while these instances of dismissal were not new, they had a profound impact on her self-esteem. She explained how this interaction was one of the many at the University that has made her feel ostracized and ignored by her white peers.
“It was actually super difficult, because I just felt like I was constantly being belittled, even though I'm at the same place you are, in the same class you are,” Smith said.
For some Black partygoers, these imposed feelings of inferiority from the classroom can translate over to the nightlife scene. Rugby Road and 14th Street are staples of University culture and active hubs for fraternity functions and bars. According to Smith, Black students often have difficult experiences attending parties on Rugby Road or 14th Street.
Smith recalled a particular moment in which she and her friends were waiting for an Uber after leaving a party on Rugby Road. Already uneasy because of how far the party was from Grounds, their anxieties quickly escalated when Smith and her friends were targeted by hidden assailants.
“These guys started shooting Nerf guns at us, “Smith said. “They were mocking us a little bit in the bushes, and so we literally moved across the street … We could still hear them.”
According to first-year College student Carlin Miles, actions like this can deter students, especially Black students, from attending parties and participating in nightlife on Rugby Road. Miles said certain racial transgressions often made her friends feel unwanted and unsafe at these events.
“I know [my friends have] had poor experiences on Rugby Road, where they've been called the n-word, or they've been mocked and degraded,” Miles said. “I know that for them, that makes them more hesitant to attend white parties or parties in the Rugby area.”
This discriminatory behavior can create an environment where many Black students feel unwelcome and excluded from spaces that are widely regarded as cornerstones of the University's social scene. In turn, some Black students who are interested in nightlife say they look to other avenues to access the social experiences they desire.
For instance, some Black students find that parties hosted by Black fraternities, colloquially referred to as the Divine Nine, are more accessible and welcoming. These spaces are known to provide Black students with a sense of solace and community that can be harder to find in other social settings.
According to Miles, at Divine Nine parties, Black students are surrounded by a community that understands their struggles and experiences. For Miles, she said she feels as if she is in safer hands if an incident were to happen at Black fraternity parties.
“I personally just feel more relaxed in the Black frats,” Miles said. “Not only because that's my people, but also because I feel like there's more of a safety net when it comes to overdosing [on] alcohol and things like that.”
However, there are limitations to Black Greek life on Grounds. Since none of the Divine Nine organizations at the University have a house on Grounds, they typically host events by renting out white fraternity houses for monthly parties. Consequently, the Divine Nine’s lack of permanent housing makes them unable to host parties or events every weekend, which can leave many Black students without comfortable and consistent spaces for nighttime entertainment or socialization.
According to second-year College student Jaden Brown, the complexities of the nightlife scene for Black students like himself serve as a harsh reminder of Charlottesville’s history. From the University’s own past with slavery and eugenics to the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ rally, Charlottesville has historically served as a microcosm for racial tensions in American society writ large.
Brown said he notices this tension when he ventures off Grounds to places such as the Downtown Mall. He said he often finds himself carefully monitoring his actions and surroundings when he goes into the general Charlottesville area because he never knows when simple interactions can become dangerous.
Similar to Rugby Road and the Corner, many Black students report that areas such as the Downtown Mall often make them feel vulnerable to awkward and oftentimes racist exchanges, leaving students like Brown uncomfortable, unsafe and confused.
“Going outside of U.Va. … I don't want to say it's a risky thing per se, not to make it seem like this area is a threat for African Americans, but [Charlottesville is] definitely an area where you can't be as comfortable as you are [on Grounds,]” Brown said.“You can't walk around with your AirPods because there is a chance that someone probably doesn't like you for something you can't control and is gonna come up and try to start something.”
Despite all of this, Brown said he finds spaces on and off Grounds, such as house shows that feature alternative music instead of traditional fraternity parties, that make him feel most comfortable.
Outside of nightlife, many Black students also find community in Black-led Contracted Independent Organizations such as the Black Student Alliance, Black Girls United and the Organization of African Students. The Office of African American Affairs also hosts its own events, such as Bridge Friday, a weekly block-party-style event that allows Black students to socialize with their peers while providing music, games and food. Many Black fraternities outside of the party scene also host professional workshops and performance showcases. These organizations provide spaces for students to meet other Black students by engaging with Grounds outside of a typical party environment.
“If [Black organizations and Greek life] are hosting something, maybe, you should go to it,” Brown said. “It doesn't always have to be a party. It could be performance or something like that. That's one of the few times we actually get to interact with our community directly.”
While the nightlife and social scene at the University may still be intimidating to some, Black students are finding ways to navigate its challenges and enjoy the festivities and connection it offers. The challenge of finding spaces where they feel comfortable has led many Black students to form new friendships and connections, experience different forms of entertainment and become involved in Black CIOs on Grounds.
Whether it be participating in organizations beyond typical fraternity parties, exploring new entertainment scenes or finding parties that make them feel safest, it is clear that Black students create the spaces they need to relax and have fun at a University that was not designed with them in mind.
“I think, alongside just being Black at a [predominately white institution], there's a really big sense that, when you have a break, take your break,” Brown said. “Do what you want, hang out with your friends, enjoy that time to relax, because as soon as you lose it, it's so much harder trying to get back.”
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