What does it mean to belong? Belonging would seem to imply a level of mutuality. I belong to you, and as such, you belong to me. While I’m quite acquainted with change and relocation, there seems to be a hardened insularity particular to Boston, with BC Law as its microcosm. As I struggle to assimilate into the social environment on campus, it has become increasingly obvious that belonging might not be so reciprocal after all. In these first few weeks, I find myself shoving into a cultural and regional crowd that seems not only cold, but indifferent to my presence. So, how do I foster a sense of belonging among younger, mostly non-People-of-Color, Massachusetts locals?
Returning to school almost five years removed from undergraduate has proved rather isolating. While I’ve aged biologically, so too, has my maturity and outlook. Thus, my approach to law school probably reflects that perspective and might understandably differ from that of a fresh graduate. How do I cross this social boundary created by gained life and career experiences? Early on, I had believed that beyond the smiles and simple greetings, I didn’t have much to offer my younger classmates. And while well-meaning, it had not been particularly encouraging to be met with such surprise when I did reveal my age. But a commonality exists, threaded through my peers and me, which transcends divisions—we are all experiencing 1L year for the first time. That thread could be the foundation for relationship-building.
As a black person from the Deep South, there is often a racial component of every Predominantly White Institution (PWI) to contend with, and given my prior academic institution, let’s just say BC Law is not my first rodeo. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing structural inequities reflected by whom I see in the classroom. Those often absent included minorities, individuals from rural communities, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds—all categories to which I belonged. BC Law proved no different; where were the Krees of campus?
However, a professor here impressed upon me that not everyone in your village must be a member of one of your held identities. Those with whom you share affinity do not solely exist in school-recognized affinity groups. Racial community feels safe, but it is important for me to realize that not every helping hand in my journey will have kindred skin. So, while I do seek involvement in clubs like the Black Law Student Association, I’m still holding space to belong elsewhere.
Through that previous PWI, I learned how to transcend the regional difference between the South and the Midwest. But what makes Massachusetts seem colder than past experiences is the temperament of its residents. How could I find common ground with lifetime locals born and raised on a ground I had just set foot on for the first time a month prior? I’m no Newtonian. No Bostonian. No Red Sox-er. The New England bubble felt coated in exclusivity. But maybe I, too, was armored in my own regional superiority? Was Boston rejecting me—or just reacting to my own bubble?
Such a bubble was defensively erected when I encountered unfamiliar territory. But unfamiliar does not equate to hostile territory. The remedy? I needed to get out of my bubble, to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Maybe belonging is a grueling process that requires intentional connection beyond the visibly and superficially apparent. Maybe I shouldn’t just expect community to come to me, but go out looking with lanterns, actively demonstrating a desire to belong. Sharing notes from class. Sharing passing exchanges in the hall. Sharing my experience in this blog.
My hunch is, eventually, those cultural, racial, and age divides that seem so daunting will dissipate, and the BC Law community will extend a hand to my grasping one. I anticipate my struggles to assimilate crystallizing into a good story, maybe even a distant memory. But as I wait for that mutual embrace, I’ll keep banging from the outside and elbowing into crowds. With time, maybe Boston will belong to me, too?
Kree Middleton is a first-year law student and brand new Impact blogger at BC Law. Contact her at middleka@bc.edu.
