Segregated housing arrangements are now available for California State University Los Angeles, (CSLA) black students. 

It is considered “a safe space for black CSLA students.” The College Fix, states that the university’s Black Student Union responded to the recurring “racist attacks” and “racially insensitive remarks” by professors and students with a set of demands that lead to this “new cheaper alternative housing solution for black students.”

Cal State LA isn’t the first to offer its students segregated housing dedicated to black students. 

University of Connecticut, University of California at Davis, and the University of California at Berkeley are also offering this new option. 

The new black living-learning community’s purpose is to connect faculty and students through engaging programs that are meant to lead to academic success, cultural awareness and civic engagement.

After all the racial attacks and situations the Black Student Union’s members have noticed and fought against, this segregated living community option is a huge achievement as they called it a “long overdue, but well deserved achievement.”

The black students at CSU Los Angeles are “consistently made the targets of racist attacks by fellow students, faculty, and administration,” as stated on their Student Union page online. 

They listened, learned and continue to follow in the steps of UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley. 

CSU Los Angeles has beein working to help support the black student community at their campus just like Santa Barbara and Berkeley have been doing during this critical time in our history.

The Black Student Union at CSU Los Angeles have listed fourteen “demands” that their members agree are critical to black students and their union’s members.

If Sonoma State University were to give students the same living community option, it would allow our students to feel better about college’s culture shock that is usually felt after leaving a more diverse high school.

“Is that not backtracking?” junior Alyssa Wright said. “Before, we were trying to get everyone to live together, all races, and now they are choosing to live separated? I’m just really confused,” Wright said.

For years many groups fought against race’s being separated from one another, but now a CSU is allowing groups to separate themselves from each other.

“I think that in no way it would hurt [students]. It is not meant to be offensive; it is meant more to give options to those that do not feel comfortable with all the racial topics that are currently happening,” sophomore Justin Costable said.

Other students, see how beneficial the new housing arrangements can be to new college students. 

“It’s not an issue, it’s actually a nice option to have for people who would feel more comfortable living with people that want to have the same cultural experience as them,” freshman Carlos Alcala said. 

“I think students should be be allowed to have this option, they have every right to live with certain people if it makes them feel comfortable,” junior Clyde Meza said. “Yeah it might cause some social problems, but in such a sensitive time period that we are living in, it would be better to let the Black Student Union of CSLA celebrate what they accomplished until it proves to show negative affects to their campus.”

Sonoma State should consider this option, to attract a more diverse student body. 

If students were given the choice to live in a segregated learning community on campus, it could benefit students socially and academically. 

Students could learn and live around other students with similar culture and background, allowing students to not feel outcasted and find a group of friends to help each other succeed. 

College is a stressful time and making students more comfortable can take some of the pressure away from their everyday lives. 

The new learning community would also attract new students to the campus with the promise of a social community they can relate to, bringing in more students for everyone to interact with.