The Truth About Being a Black Resident Assistant at a Predominantly White College
About this episode
Anthony Reeves shares his experiences as a Black Resident Assistant at a predominantly white college in the late 1980s, discussing the challenges and lessons learned in navigating race and leadership.
What was it really like to become one of the few Black Resident Assistants at a predominantly white university in the late 1980s? In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I share the story behind my unexpected journey from a freshman who never believed he would be hired to becoming a Resident Assistant—and eventually training future RAs on diversity, culture, and leadership. This isn’t just a story about college housing. It’s about learning to navigate unfamiliar spaces, leading with authenticity, confronting racial realities with honesty, and discovering that your greatest challenges often become your greatest qualifications to lead. For members of Black Generation X, these weren’t theoretical conversations—they were lived experiences that shaped how we learned to succeed in integrated America. If you’ve ever questioned whether you belonged, this conversation is for you. If this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone who has ever wondered what it meant to navigate college, leadership, and race during the 1980s. And if you enjoy these stories about Black Generation X, be sure to explore the rest of The…
More episodes of In The Know with Tony Reeves
- The Haircut That Taught Me About Perception vs. Reality
- Was I Being Profiled? A Black Generation X College Experience
- I Deserved to Be There: When Being the Only One Makes You Question Your Place
- My Roommates Threw My Clothes Into the Hallway: A College Lesson in Dignity
- HBCU Dreams, PWI Reality: How Black Gen X Built the Bridge
- The Logistics of the Long Road Trip: How Black Gen X Learned to Move Different
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