Ebony Eyes

Abstract

The poetry collection Ebony Eyes expresses the perspective of Black students attending predominantly white institutions and the multitude of emotions and experiences that accompany that. The purpose of this poetry collection is to both provide a black voice, which is often low in representation at PWIs, and creatively discuss how the experience of Black students differ from their peers. Throughout eighteen poems, the collection highlights the racial stressors that Black students oftentimes face in their college experience: microaggressions, triggered trauma, racial profiling, white washing of history, and more. Ebony Eyes sheds light on the role systematic racism can play at predominantly white institutions and through this lens, with the goal of prompting healthy dialogue about how predominantly white institutions can be inclusive—not just diverse.