Shelby Lewis

Apr 29, 2024 | wcuquad.com | Shelby Lewis

In the first part of my report, I wrote about Black students’ experiences with racism and prejudice on campus. To recap what I mentioned in the first part, #blackatpwi is a hashtag for Black students to openly share their experiences being at primarily white institutions (PWI). The hashtag covers a wide range of subjects, from handling racially contentious class debates to overcoming feelings of loneliness in school.

Apr 22, 2024 | wcuquad.com | Shelby Lewis

#blackatpwi is an ongoing and active space where Black students publicly share their experiences. Topics ranging from racially motivated classroom discussions to campus isolation have circulated throughout the tag and have been adopted across several platforms including Instagram and Twitter. While many of these students use their platforms to address racial discrimination on campus, what are administrators doing to help those students feel safer on a policy level?

Apr 22, 2024 | wcuquad.com | Shelby Lewis

What made me come to West Chester? I always say I got scammed into coming to West Chester. My first choice was Virginia State University, to which my dad said “No.” West Chester was my second choice. I did a bunch of research in looking for the right school for me. I wanted a good Journalism or Communications program because at the time I was convinced I was going to go into radio or podcasting and become a broadcast journalist.

Mar 24, 2024 | wcuquad.com | Shelby Lewis

If I could redo college, I probably would’ve gone to an entirely different school. I’d either be home in my sanctuary and surrounded by comradery that allows me the ability to get a hug from my mother daily instead of weekly or monthly. I could’ve gone to Virginia, which would’ve been farther yet closer to who I am. My southern roots came crawling from the earth to ground me and yet I went flying towards the sun. Much like Icarus, I found my wings clipped with no ground to hold me.

Feb 26, 2024 | wcuquad.com | Shelby Lewis

Despite being born and raised in Baltimore City, Maryland, my parents worked for Baltimore County Public Schools as teachers. Because I was a city kid, I could only go to where my parents taught. This led me to spend three years of middle school with my father at Loch Raven Technical Academy in 2013. It was a predominantly white school in Towson where I would continue to live comfortably being whitewashed.