Brittany Franklin, 16, moved from her home in Chicago to Galesburg, Illinois with her mother to attend a better school and live in a safer area. But now Brittany feels isolated. (Photo by KENT KRIEGSHAUSER/The Register-Mail)
Sixteen-year-old Brittany Franklin doesn’t like being the only black girl in her math class at Galesburg High School in Galesburg, Ill., about three hours from Chicago.
“Nobody offers to be my partner,” Brittany told The Register-Mail newspaper in Galesburg. “I’m the only black girl in the class — all the other kids are white. Sometimes, kids will whisper things like ‘Eww, she’s black’ and they won’t sit next to me.”
Her latest report card showed that she has a “D” in math.
“There are times when I don’t want to go to math class. I feel weird there, sometimes,” she said. “I know that it is better to work with white students and get to know them. And I know it’s good for them to work with people different from them. But that doesn’t happen in math class.
“I have to be honest — there are some times when I just don’t want to go to math class. I don’t want to go because of how I feel.”
Brittany tries to stay focused, but it isn’t easy especially when black students at her school graduate at a lower rate than white students. Brittany, whose mother never finished high school, said her goal is to graduate from high school and attend college afterward. Her mother had her first child at the age of 15 and often talks to Brittany about getting pregnant young and how that affected her education.
Her mother was responsible for their move to Galeburg from Chicago. She wanted Brittany to attend a better school and live in a safer area.
Outside of school, Brittany has black and white friends who she connected with in her neighborhood or church. Like her, Brittany said some of her black friends at her school feel isolated. She said they are called names and picked on because of their skin color.
“They all deal with it in different ways,” Brittany said. “Some kids will yell back at someone who calls them names. One of my friends just breaks down and cries. I just ignore what people say about me. I don’t judge all white people by what some white people say to me.”
The The Only Black Girl in Math Class by Haven Magazine, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
My situation isn’t as drastic as brittany’s, but i am the only black girl in all 4 of my classes this semester. There are a few black boys but the most black people in any of my classes is five. I really don’t like this, and i wish there was a way it could be changed. There is an uncomfortable feeling walking into class and just seeing so many white people and no one else like you. My mom says that it happens a lot in especially, and it will happen more when i get older. What’s a way to deal with this situation???
We all have moments like those. I’m 27, and it still happens to me. Over the years I’ve learned to be confident in who I am. When I walk into a room full of people other than my race, they may stare or make remarks but I ignore them. I’ve learned not to care what others think of me. They’re just haters! Be confident! You’re a fabulous, intelligent, beautiful young lady, and that’s all that matters!
Thanks so much for the advice:). Hopefully soon i’ll be able to handle the situation as well as you do
No problem! Just hang in there and keep your mind on the ultimate goal…your education!
