Michael jeffries on Black and Queer on Campus

Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

Black and Queer on Campus offers an inside look at what life is like for LGBTQ college students on campuses across the United States. Michael P. Jeffries shows that Black and queer college students often struggle to find safe spaces and a sense of belonging when they arrive on campus at both predominantly white institutions and historically black colleges and universities. Many report that in predominantly white queer social spaces, they feel unwelcome and pressured to temper their criticisms of racism amongst their white peers. Conversely, in predominantly straight Black social spaces, they feel ignored or pressured to minimize their queer identity in order to be accepted. According to Jeffries, this fraught dynamic has an impact on Black LGBTQ students in higher education, as they experience different forms of marginalization at the intersection of their race, gender, and sexuality. Join us Jeffries provides a new, much-needed perspective on the specific challenges Black LGBTQ students face and the ways they overcome them, on this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large.