When first-year Black women and men students were asked if it was important for them to read works that reflect Black people, experiences, or cultures majority answered that they agree.
It makes sense that students want to read about people and experiences that they can relate to or see themselves in, but what happens when the reading isn’t relatable? Black students at SIUE have the opportunity to be introduced to Black literature their first year thanks to FAME and GAME, and unless they are Black Studies majors, there is no emphasis on Black literature in other classes.
My concern is that Black students will feel less motivated to read in future classes because they won’t see the representation they do now in FAME and GAME classes. Spaces for Black students at a PWI are already limited, and while it may seem small, students reading books they can connect to may be the determining factor in how they perform in classes.
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