Shemarr Kilgore is a fourth-year journalism student. He’s a member of the U of M’s transfer student honors society, Tau Sigma, and the fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha. Kilgore also plays intramural football.
“I know how the U really preaches diversity here, but I don’t really think it’s as diverse as they say it is. I guess the diversity in the community makes up for it, because there are other schools too around campus, and I have friends that go there. Pretty much my friend group is pretty diverse, compared to most friend groups on campus. It’s just nice having people that can relate to you more around you.
It’s weird because like, there’s a big problem with diversity in the media period. Especially with people of color or Black people. There are people of color or Black people in the journalism school, but nowhere near as many as our white counterparts. But you know, it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.
I went to Burnsville High School, which is pretty diverse compared to most high schools but also is still predominantly white, and also we live in a state that is predominantly white. So it’s nothing new, being one of the few persons of color or Black kids around.
I feel like what [the U of M means] by diversity, they mean mainly first generation students or students that come from a different country. That is diverse, but I feel like in our own community, in our own state, I feel like they don’t have enough kids coming from surrounding schools.
I believe that especially in people of color’s communities and Black people’s communities, there needs to be more resources to help kids be able to go to these schools, especially a school like this. I know the U is a hard school to get into, for sure, but all it takes is a little bit of push and help. That’s all it takes. I think they could do more.”
Interviewed by Jess Jurcek