Most Black folks have experienced being the token at some point in their life. Especially if they are accustomed to inhabiting majority white spaces.
Predominantly White Institutions (PWI's) in particular are notorious for forcing the token identity on unsuspecting Black college students.
Being the token can be intimidating if you're shy and like to keep to yourself. It's a way of highlighting you for no other reason other than the fact that you're the only Black person in the vicinity. So now it is you who must speak on behalf of your race. It is you who must know everything about Black issues and hold all of the answers. Your classmates and even your professors will be looking to you.
This is a very common phenomenon that Black people, to a certain extent, have come to expect. But the emotional and psychological costs of tokenism are not often considered.
As I prepare to finish college, I am now more aware of all of the ways tokenism has been a detriment.
